Life on Witch Mountain
by kevin711haynes
Summary: This story combines elements from "Escape to Witch Mountain" and "Return from Witch Mountain." It begins right where the second movie leaves off, then looks at what life might be like for Tony and Tia as adults.
1. Default Chapter

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 1  
  
Tony was exhausted. As he listened to the quiet hum of the lifeboat's motor, he couldn't help but turn over in his mind again and again the events of the past few days. What was supposed to have been a fun outing to the big city with his sister, Tia, turned nearly disastrous when he was kidnapped by a scientist and forced to do his bidding.  
  
How had all of this come to be? His mind, wracked by confusion, wandered even farther back to his first day on Witch Mountain. He smiled inwardly as he thought about that name - "Witch Mountain." Back in the early 1900's, when the very first scouts from his home planet came to Earth to look for a place to live, they were scorned because they looked like "foreigners" and couldn't speak English. Being mountain dwellers on their home planet, this mountain in the eastern United States seemed perfect.  
  
When the local people named that particular peak "Witch Mountain," Tony's people realized that it would only help them. People scared of witches, or anyone different from themselves, would stay away from the mountain. And that suited Tony's people just fine. They wanted to be left alone.  
  
Of course, Tony's people weren't witches. They were aliens, extraterrestrials, "Martians." Their own planet was on a course that would take it into one of their suns - their world actually orbited two suns, a double star - and they had to find a new home quickly. Being mountain people did not mean they had no technology. They were light years ahead of Earth in that area, particularly because of the unique capabilities of their people.  
  
While in appearance they resembled the citizens of Earth, there were many differences. No two people on Tony's planet possessed the exact same abilities, but some could energize matter simply by using their minds. All of them used an ultrasonic speech that Earth people could not hear - however, many of them were unable to form sounds that Earth people could hear, so they were considered mute . or "dumb," the term used generations ago. They also possessed unique sensory capabilities, which enabled them to commune with animals as well as sense when something was going to happen. It also allowed them to know if someone was telling the truth.  
  
As proud as Tony had been of the differences between his people and those of Earth, he shuddered to think that twice in his brief life he had encountered Earthmen that would have given everything they had - and indeed, nearly did - to be able to control the power he possessed. What would they have done if they had known that many of his people were able to do far more than he could? Would they dare to actually mount an armed assault on his people?  
  
Now approaching Witch Mountain, Tony remembered more of his first day there. After waiting for years to feel a part of something, and after running for his and Tia's lives for almost a week, it felt so . inviting . to be among his own kind. Everyone welcomed him, some verbally, some without moving their mouths. He searched the faces of his people, looking for any that were familiar, but he had been so young when they escaped their dying planet that most were completely unknown to him.  
  
He remembered asking what the name of their planet had been. It had been less than 24 hours since he had realized he was not of Earth . now he couldn't wait to find out where he was from! He smiled to himself as he remembered his first reaction to the answer - it was a word he couldn't understand nor even pronounce! Of course, they had spoken a different language on their home planet, and that was the only language in which one could say the name of the planet. When he asked if anyone could tell him what that meant in English, Uncle Bené replied that the closest English word for it was simply "Home."  
  
"Home!" Tony repeated it to himself. He was finally home! No more running . Home at last.  
  
More and more information came quickly after his and Tia's arrival to Witch Mountain. Within a few days he was getting acquainted with everyone, learning how they had lived on Home. Being mountain people, their dwellings were simple and fit into the environment. Some were underground, some were caves carved into rock, and some were simply thatch dwellings that, from the air, resembled a grassy knoll.  
  
While clothing on their Home had been simple garments made of plain cloth, some now preferred to dress more in keeping with the customs of Earth. At Home no one wore shoes or had pockets - there was no need for them there. The rougher terrain of Earth caused some to use footwear, but made only of cloth.  
  
Tony learned early on that, while his immediate family died in the crash of their lifeboat (except for Tia) everyone that survived the trip to Earth considered themselves family. They had all adopted the name Castaway, and everyone was "Aunt," "Uncle," or "Cousin." No exceptions. "Uncle" Bené was not really the brother of his father or mother, but that didn't make him any less a family member.  
  
Being used to Earth customs, he was expecting to find a school building. He had been attending school all of his life, and usually hated it because he was so different from the other kids, and because he always felt he needed to take care of Tia. It took some time for him to get used to the idea that "school" for his people simply meant learning - all the time, every day, from every situation. Some of the people taught him how to build a dwelling from what he could find in nature. Some of them taught him how to hone his skills, such as manipulating matter, communicating in the language of Home without using his audible voice, and learning to communicate with the animals and trees.  
  
Another adjustment for him was his people's use of technology. On the exterior, with their simple clothes and earthen dwellings, they seemed so . well, "primitive" was the only English word he could think of. But they had wonderful technology! They could monitor Earth transmissions by radio and television. They could even monitor "top secret" transmissions by the military and government. And yet Tony never saw many wires attached to the machines, and there were no towers or poles such as those he had seen in the city. It wasn't until much later that he learned how it all worked. The goal was not spying, of course, but self-preservation. They needed to know if anyone was onto their settlement or who they really were. And, of course they were always on the lookout for more people still missing from crashed lifeboats.  
  
"Tony? Are you OK?" The voice of Tia broke his reverie. He snapped to, as if coming out of a trance, and said, "Oh . yeah. I'm fine. Just lost in thought, I guess."  
  
"Is that all?" Tia responded, somewhat gently. She could sense a change in Tony . as if something dark was lurking under the surface. She had the ability to sense what others were feeling. In fact, her ability to do that was greater than most of her people had. And she could sense fear, uncertainty, anger, distrust, doubt . all clouding in Tony's eyes, in his soul. She feared for him. He had always been there for her. She would be there for him - no matter what. 


	2. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 02

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 2  
  
Tia was feeling much more optimistic within hours of returning to Witch Mountain. While she still carried some concern for Tony's well being, he seemed like his old self immediately upon touching down. After the weekend they had had, the best possible therapy for him was to be with his own people, where he could be himself, as well as to be away from the city. When they were younger, Tony seemed to adapt to city life much better than Tia did, but after living on Witch Mountain, both were now much more comfortable in the great outdoors. Nature - trees, plants, animals . in fact, all living things - were so much a part of them, and always had been. Now they could just enjoy that every day without having to explain to humans why they were able to adapt to nature much more easily than other people on earth.  
  
Another thing Tia noticed was that Tony seemed to be much more sure of his "other-worldly" abilities after returning from the city. He was able to use his mind to move much heavier objects than he had ever attempted without his harmonica. He spoke more with her without using his voice than he ever had before. She also noticed that he seemed to almost relish being with others and helping whenever possible.  
  
One night, after the evening meal, Tony excused himself to go sit outside. Tia waited a few minutes and then followed him. They shared a dwelling with Uncle Bené and his sister Bria, whom they affectionately called "Aunt Bri." Tony was sitting on a fairly large rock a short ways down the path that led to their dwelling. His back was to her, and he was watching the nearly full moon as it rose over the trees. The moon cast a quiet glow over the woodland on Witch Mountain. Tia enjoyed the sight as well. In fact, she never got tired of it.  
  
Afraid of disturbing him, she "whispered" his name. It was her people's mental version of gently tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention - it wasn't intrusive, but let someone know you were there. Tony didn't turn around at all, and his lips didn't move, but Tia heard him say, "Come on over, sis."  
  
"Did you know I was coming out here?" she asked him silently.  
  
He smiled, still not looking at her, and said, "I could actually sense you've been wanting to get me alone for a while now."  
  
Tia's brow knotted as she shot back, "I wasn't that obvious, was I?"  
  
He actually laughed and said, "Not really. Come on over. We need to talk."  
  
As she sat on the large boulder next to him, she blurted out, "Tony, are you OK? I've been so concerned about you!" She mentally kicked herself. That wasn't how she wanted to begin the conversation! But, if anyone knew her and her emotional impulsiveness, it was her brother.  
  
He rested his hand on hers and said, "It's okay, Tia. You had a right to be concerned. Despite the way things turned out, who wouldn't be messed up by all that Dr. Gannon and Letha did? I mean, they controlled my mind, kidnapped me, made me fight you." At this point he quit talking, and Tia saw a tear make his way down his face.  
  
She leaned over and hugged him tightly. "Oh Tony, it's really alright! I know you didn't mean to do any of it, and I don't think you could have really hurt me if you had wanted to! I just know you, know your heart, and I believe you could not have really hurt me."  
  
Tony was sobbing now. He could hardly speak. "Maybe, Tia. Maybe. But all I can remember is the look of absolute fear on your face as I almost crushed you! Oh, how can you forgive me? How can you trust me? You should be scared of me!" He began crying even harder.  
  
What Tia did next she didn't expect to do. She didn't even know how she had done it. When she had finally found Tony and broke the control Dr. Gannon had over him, as she and Tony touched they exchanged thoughts - there was no other way to describe it. He saw mental pictures of what she had been through, and she saw his memories as well. It was instantaneous, and unprecedented. They had never exchanged memories like that, and hadn't heard of anyone in their group who had.  
  
However, it happened again as Tia sat there. As she hugged Tony, she just wanted to comfort him, hold him, help him know for sure that it was OK. And that's what she did. The only way she could describe it was like giving someone a mental "hug." She wrapped her thoughts around him just as her arms were wrapped around him. She felt his pain and his fear. And, like water being poured over a candle, she extinguished the fear and pain. She actually saw them begin to subside, felt herself reassuring Tony that all was forgiven and that she not only trusted him but also loved him.  
  
Tony was blown away. He had never felt anything so deep or profound. It was like the best memories of his life were rolled up into one wonderful moment. He felt as if his heart had been gashed, just like he had torn open his knee when he first tried to ride a bike, and Tia was gently rubbing ointment on the wound, and it was getting better, just as his knee felt so much better under Granny Malone's gentle ministrations.  
  
His crying subsided, and they were surrounded by silence. More than silence - it was peace. The first peace Tony had felt since they had left Witch Mountain for the city. He was safe, protected, and home.  
  
After sharing the wonderful silence and just being together, they began to talk. Tony wanted to describe the change that had taken place in him. Always an optimist, Tony had found some good from the horrible time they had in the city, even though he almost hated to admit it. He had discovered that being under Dr. Gannon's hypnotic control had opened up possibilities to Tony that he had never considered. After Jason O'Day had helped them get to Witch Mountain, Tony began to grow and improve in his abilities. Soon he had been able to do many things without his harmonica that he had never attempted without it before.  
  
But he still was afraid of trying new things. After years of living with humans who made fun of you if you were different, he was afraid, even with his own people, of trying new "abilities" out. For example, what if he tried to lift a heavy object with his mind, and couldn't do it? What would his people think of him? So he had forced himself to be content with what he could do, even though deep inside he really wasn't.  
  
Dr. Gannon changed all of that. He forced Tony to go beyond his own preconceived abilities. Under the doctor's power, Tony had moved and levitated all kinds of things. He moved railroad cars and buses. He magnified the sun's light. At the museum he had "energized" dozens of things at once and never lost track of any of them. He had levitated thousands of pounds of gold. And he had contacted Tia telepathically over a very long distance and led her to him. At the power plant he had lifted objects heavier than he had ever attempted before, and without effort.  
  
Once he was out of Dr. Gannon's control, Tony had begun to think about all he had done. While he was wracked with guilt over the thought of helping an evil man and trying to hurt his own sister, he was amazed at the abilities that apparently had been in him all along. So, when they returned to Witch Mountain, he had resolved to not hold back anymore. At all. If someone needed help with something, he would help. If he attempted something and wasn't able to do it, then it would be a lesson learned. But he would never know unless he tried.  
  
And after almost losing his freedom and his sister, he had determined to appreciate those in his life like never before. He didn't want to ever take a day for granted again, nor any person for that matter. He found that he now relished the small things - hearing Aunt Bri sing to herself as she prepared breakfast for all of them; watching Tia try to communicate with every squirrel she could see all at one time; greeting people from Home and talking with them. He didn't want to ever feel that he had wasted the opportunity to appreciate anything in his life.  
  
After talking deep into the night, Tony and Tia finally headed to bed. That night, Tony slept like a baby. And he greeted each new day as if it was a great big gift waiting to be unwrapped. The bond that Tony and Tia shared grew even stronger, if that were possible. They became inseparable and talked about everything. Life was finally as it should be. 


	3. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 03

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 3  
  
Twenty-five years had passed since that night. Even after so much time, that night had left an indelible impression on Tony's soul. Despite the traumatic events in his life - the wreck of the lifeboat, the death of his parents, the fearful circumstances after the Malones died, the threats from Mr. Bolt and Dr. Gannon - the one thing that had most molded Tony's life, his very character, was the night he and his sister bonded like never before.  
  
In those 25 years, the Witch Mountain community had grown as well. More survivors had been recovered (although there were still many unaccounted for), and the Homedwellers - as they chose to call themselves - had settled into a wonderful routine that closely resembled life on their home planet. They planted gardens, which provided all of their food. Since they formed close bonds with animals, they chose to not eat any meat, so all of their food had to be grown. However, since many of them had lived among humans before finding "New Home" (which is what they began calling Witch Mountain), they also brought in foods from nearby settlements, such as pasta, various vegetables which would not grow in their mountain environment, and even chocolate and other sweets.  
  
Tony and Tia still lived with Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri. Now adults, Tony and Tia had taken over more of the household duties so that their "elders" could enjoy themselves more. While the concept of retirement was foreign to Home, the idea of respecting one's elders and allowing them to relax and enjoy the fruit of their labors in their later years was very strong.  
  
Something else Tony had been amazed to learn was that his people's lifespan was much greater than that of humans. Since he and Tia had aged at the (apparently) same rate as their peers when they were younger, he assumed they would live as long as earth people do. He learned, however, that the key word was apparently. Physically the Homedwellers developed at the same rate as earth-dwellers, but inwardly they remained quite young. After about 50 earth years, the outward changes began to slow down, as if reaching a plateau. Uncle Bené, for example, appeared quite old by earth standards, but Tony was amazed to learn that he was actually over 100 earth years old! He appeared to be only about 60, and actually had the strength and stamina of someone half that age.  
  
There were at least two reasons for this, Tony was told. First, the planet Home took much more time to orbit its sun since it had to go around two of them! So one year on Home was the equivalent of many years on earth. The other was the happy coincidence that earth's proximity to its sun, as well as its particular atmosphere, had what could best be described as a greenhouse effect on the Homedwellers. Because of these properties, they ended up living longer lives on earth than they would have on their own planet!  
  
Life on Witch Mountain - or New Home - consisted of just living. Growing food, learning about the earth and its inhabitants, being together, improving one's abilities, and enjoying just being alive were the essence of their existence. They also enjoyed inventing. As earth technology improved, they had to keep their own technology growing as well. While earth scientists weren't anywhere near the ability to build something like the lifeboats that had brought them to earth, they still needed to stay ahead.  
  
The reason for this continual advancement was because of the Mr. Bolts and Dr. Gannons of the world. Almost any Homedweller who had lived with humans before finding their way to Witch Mountain had encountered people that wanted to make use of their abilities. It was no secret to the humans that many "special" people had made their way to Witch Mountain. And while the more simple-minded humans that lived near Witch Mountain avoided it and discouraged anyone from getting too close, the Homedwellers knew that earth's technology would soon enable someone who knew about them to look closely at Witch Mountain from the air or even from space. That was something they must avoid at all costs.  
  
This potential threat was the reason they developed the "Assignment." Each Homedweller, as he or she reached adulthood, would take on a three-year- long assignment. Each one would be trained in a different line of work. Once ready, they would be sent to different parts of the United States to blend in with humans and perform their trade. While they were on assignment, their mission was two-fold: (1) to find out what humans knew about Homedwellers and if they were in any danger, and (2) to seek out Homedwellers that did not know they were from another planet.  
  
Neither Tony nor Tia had been on their assignment yet, even though they both were approaching 40 earth years of age. Since they had spent so much time with humans, even though they were quite young, they were needed to train those who would be going out into the world. Although they had not lived with humans for almost 30 years, Tony had used radio, television, and, of late, the internet, to follow American fads and trends. He was often able to relate new things he heard about to what he had experienced years before, and Tia would often remind him of things he had forgotten. Then they would pass this information on the Homedwellers who were preparing for their assignments. Tony would even have them role-play different scenarios to help them prepare to react as earth-dwellers and without giving away their unique abilities.  
  
But after years of teaching and training, Tony was itching to go on an assignment himself. When he was younger and the idea was first discussed among the Homedwellers, he had almost become sick thinking about contact with humans again. But as his people went and then returned, he loved listening to their stories and experiences. He began to hunger for some contact with humans again as he remembered that there were kind ones like Granny Malone and the Earthquake Gang. There was also a part of him that, after running for his life at such a young age, wanted to be a "spy" and play a role. When he was nine he didn't know how to pretend he was someone different than who he was, and he resented having to hide his true abilities. Now, as an adult, he was ready to try it out - he could handle it much better now!  
  
Uncle Bené agreed with Tony. As elder statesman for the Homedwellers, it had originally been Uncle Bené's idea to send people on the assignment. He was concerned, at first, that three years might be too long, but humans seemed to not trust someone who was only around for a year or two, and trust was essential for what they were trying to accomplish. Also, with their extremely long lifespan, three years really wasn't that much time. They could keep in touch mentally or via their version of the internet with their members on assignment, so it was as if they weren't even gone.  
  
Uncle Bené had considered Tony for one of the first assignments, but he needed to know for sure that the young man was ready. Tony had developed into a wonderful, confident young man, but his uncle knew that scars of the past heal slowly. When, after years of helping with the training, Tony finally approached him about going on an assignment himself, he knew that Tony was ready.  
  
And so was Tia. She had wanted for so long to be sent on an assignment, but her bond with Tony was so precious that she didn't want to leave until he was ready. She couldn't suppress a smile when he told her that he was going to begin preparing for an assignment. Now she could, too. Both could hardly wait for this new adventure. 


	4. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 04

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 4  
  
Tony and Tia, brother and sister, had so much in common. So they were quite shocked when they found out just how different their assignments were!  
  
"Uncle Bené, are you sure about this? This just seems so different for us!" Tony exclaimed.  
  
Uncle Bené smiled as he said, "I'm very sure about this, Tony. I've watched the two of you for years, and I know you both very well. I am certain these assignments are perfect for each of you. And after years of sharing so much in common, it will be good for both of you to have unique experiences you can tell the other about."  
  
Tony seemed doubtful, but he smiled and said, "Okay. I trust you, Uncle Bené. And I can't wait to go!"  
  
Tony had been assigned the task of going to New York City and posing as an artist who sells paintings on the street. Tony had loved art and drawing since he was younger, and had spent the past two years learning different artistic techniques, as well as painting without his harmonica! He had done well - his own people loved his paintings, and some had even taken them to nearby towns and sold them for quite a bit of money.  
  
His main assignment was to look for possible Homedwellers in New York. One of the lifeboats had landed near there by mistake, and its pilot, the only one who knew any English, was killed. The rest of the Homedwellers on that lifeboat were discovered and assumed to be "foreigners." They were taken to an immigration building in New York and processed as refugees. But since no one could communicate with them, they had been placed in an institution. Over the years, they had broken out or been released as they learned to speak English. But none of them knew where Witch Mountain was; they didn't even know that was the lifeboat's final destination.  
  
Tia's assignment, on the other hand, was completely different. After studying clerical skills and governmental agencies, Tia had been assigned to go to Washington D.C. to work as a Senator's assistant. Tia was very excited about the prospect, and Tony was in shock. Tia, who had always loved the outdoors, who had always collected pets even when it wasn't prudent, Tia who couldn't stand to be cooped up . working in a stuffy office all day every day? He just couldn't see it. He was glad that he would be able to be outside, on the street, free to do whatever he wanted.  
  
Deep inside, Tia had an incredible feeling about this assignment. She was so excited to be going anywhere, but this assignment seemed very special for different reasons. One thing that came to mind was the thought that she might finally be able to do something important for her people. She had helped Tony a lot, especially when he was held captive by Dr. Gannon, but she had never felt very important to the Homedwellers. She was always "Tony's sister," even as an adult, and now she felt that, by going to Washington, she might be able to get some real inside information that could truly help her people.  
  
Late one night, Tony, Tia, and several others boarded a lifeboat. It was piloted by none other than Uncle Bené. Tony wanted to ask why he was "driving," when he hadn't flown any craft in years. But deep inside his heart he knew why - this was his Uncle's way of being there for them and wishing them well. Under cover of night, the quiet craft rose high into the atmosphere, where it could avoid most detection methods, and flew toward the northeast. At about 3:00 a.m. Tony was deposited in New York City, near the Empire State Building, and just a short time later Tia was left near an apartment building just blocks from the Capitol. They had hugged and said their goodbyes quickly on the lifeboat, and now, it was time.  
  
Their assignments had begun. 


	5. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 05

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 5  
  
As Tony emerged from the dark alley where the lifeboat left him, he was amazed at not only the size of New York City, but also the number of people still out and about at 3:00 in the morning. He tried to look nonchalant as he walked down the street carrying his duffle bag and carrying some canvases for painting under one arm, but he drew many stares. Since part of his assignment was to observe, he decided to start right then. He wanted to figure out why people were staring - he really needed to try to fit in if he were to be part of this area for the next three years.  
  
Most of the people on the street were in bad shape. Some were sitting or lying on the ground. Their clothing was little more than rags. Others who were standing weren't dressed much better. He had watched enough TV and read enough to know about the homeless, gangs, muggers, and hookers. He realized, as he thought about that, that he really didn't fit into any of those categories in the way he looked or dressed, and those would be the people most likely to be out at this time of night.  
  
He quickened his steps toward the place he would be spending his nights for the next few months. It was a rundown apartment building, but it was a reliable place to sleep at night, and also rest during the day if he needed to. It had been scouted out by another Homedweller who just finished his assignment. He had been in a different part of the city, but had found a location for Tony just before he left New York. The rent was fairly reasonable, and there were many people in the area. Tony wanted to meet them and get to know them, because once they felt comfortable with him, then he could find out almost anything about them. And that is what he needed to do - find out about his neighbors and see if any might be Homedwellers or know someone who was.  
  
Just as he was nearing the door of the apartment building, someone grabbed his shoulder from behind. He turned around quickly, mad at himself for not having sensed it. A large man, dressed in secondhand clothes, stood there with a knife drawn. His eyes were wild and bloodshot, and he seemed determined and nervous at the same time. He simply said, "Give me your bag and your money."  
  
Tony had only seconds to size the situation up. He could easily disarm this man and remain safe - that was no problem. What was a problem was doing it in a way that wouldn't blow his cover. He needed to be in this neighborhood for at least a few months, and his assignment to this city would last three years. He couldn't get a reputation as a weirdo or a freak yet.  
  
It's amazing how quickly a mind can race through memories and details when one is faced with danger. It only takes one or two seconds, but it seems as though it lasted minutes. Tony remembered fighting Truck off with a bat and a ball glove at the orphanage; he remembered scaring Sheriff Purdy thoroughly with the flying broom with a jacket on it; and he remembered the bears that so frightened the people of the Sheriff's small town. What he needed was the right kind of frightening - something to make this guy back off, but make him think Tony had nothing to do with it. The biggest mistake he had made when he was young was using his other-worldly abilities so blatantly. That got him into more trouble than if he had been subtle.  
  
The car! Parked just a few feet behind his attacker, on the street but slightly angled (since the person who parked it was not in the best condition to drive, probably), was an older car with a smashed passenger door. But it could start and move, and would serve Tony's purposes. Without warning, the car's engine started, and since it was missing its muffler, the sound was loud. Tony's attacker spun around to see what was going on, and as he did, the car's lights came on and put the attacker in a spotlight. Then the car's brights came on, and the spotlight got even brighter.  
  
Tony was hoping this would be enough to make his attacker flee, but it wasn't. Whether the man was just numb to the unexpected, or whether the drugs he had been taking had dulled his normal responses Tony couldn't tell. So he went to Plan B. Suddenly the car shifted into drive and began to move . onto the curb . across the sidewalk . and straight toward the attacker. Now the man's instincts kicked in. He started running down the street, past Tony's apartment building, and was horrified to see the car pursuing him.  
  
His terrified screams should have woken every person on that street. Tony only had the car pursue him until the man was out of sight, and then the car abruptly stopped, on the sidewalk, put itself into park, turned off its lights, and turned its engine off. Tony smiled as he entered his new home- whoever owned that car would wonder in the morning just how it got half-way down the street on the sidewalk! Well, perhaps they'll think better of driving home intoxicated next time, he thought.  
  
He walked carefully up the stairs to his 4th floor apartment. He didn't know if anyone would be lurking in the hallways or stairwells at 3:00 a.m., but now he was going to take no chances. He also had his senses on full alert. He actually picked up the fact that there were four dogs living in various apartments he passed, several cats, and countless rats. While he had never had the knack for communicating with animals that his sister had, he nevertheless had devoted himself to making some friends of the animals that dwelt on Witch Mountain. He tried to remember where the dogs and cats were, especially. They might make good friends, and even help him find what he was seeking.  
  
The apartment itself was sparse. The last Homedweller on assignment in New York knew that Tony was coming and had rented the apartment for him. He hope to make enough money selling paintings that he could pay the rent himself, but he wasn't too concerned. It was a studio apartment, but had minimal furnishings. "Oh well - at least it's not the orphanage or Sheriff Purdy's jail. And I can decorate it any way I like - it's all mine!" Tony was actually excited. This assignment was going to be such a change of pace that he knew he would enjoy it.  
  
He put his few clothes away, stored his canvases against the wall, and set up his transmitter. The transmitter - a small metal box the size of a cigarette box - was the Home equivalent of a cell phone. Tony could already project his thoughts, or use his ultrasonic voice, over many miles. But the transmitter could broadcast them on a special frequency all the way to New Home, where he would keep in touch with his people, and especially Uncle Bené. He would leave the transmitter turned on all the time. If he needed to use it while away from the apartment, he only had to project his "voice" toward it, and it would be transmitted to New Home.  
  
Should the unexpected happen and he was to somehow find himself more than 10 miles from the apartment and still needed to contact New Home, he had a small microphone/receiver hidden in his watch. The whole thing reminded him of the old Dick Tracy cartoons he used to read - if he needed help he would use his special voice to speak into his watch. That was then sent to the transmitter, which would send the message home.  
  
Normally he would just check in each night from his apartment, but after what had happened to him with Dr. Gannon, as well as what others had experienced on their assignments, they wanted to have an emergency signal set up just in case. This seemed to be the best way. They didn't carry the transmitter on their person in case they were robbed or searched or arrested. Their watches didn't usually attract any attention, so it seemed wisest to make the watch the receiver for the transmitter.  
  
The best part was that, even if his transmissions were intercepted, no human could hear the frequency and, as far as they knew, no earth computer could decode it either. Also, if for some reason he failed to check in, his watch could be tracked by those at New Home, and they could make sure he was OK.  
  
As the sun began to rise over New York City, Tony tried to rest. He had been up all night and already had one adventure. What else lie in store? Who would he meet on the streets? Would he be able to help any of his people? What would he tell them? Where would he start? With all of these questions buzzing around in his head it took him a while to fall asleep. But sleep he finally did. 


	6. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 06

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 6  
  
Since Tia had no luggage to carry, she made her way quickly from the drop- off point to her new apartment. As the assistant of a Senator she had quarters provided by the government. And, since she would need to dress professionally, Uncle Bené had arranged for her wardrobe to be in place in her apartment upon her arrival.  
  
She marveled at that thought. There appeared to be a vast network of Homedwellers looking out for their own people. They had set her apartment up before she arrived, they had secured Tony's apartment and gotten the lease in his name even though he hadn't even been there yet, they had arranged for her to get this job . she was curious about how many were involved and how far the network extended.  
  
It did make her feel more secure, and less alone, to know that there were others like her out here in the "real" world, working behind the scenes to make a difference. She hoped so much that she would be able to do the same. Tia knew that working as the assistant to a Senator was an important government job as far as earth people were concerned, but that didn't interest her. Her heart's desire was to make a real difference in the lives of Homedwellers and to make sure that New Home remained a safe haven for them.  
  
She had the key to her apartment in her hand when she entered the building. While the apartment building itself wasn't noteworthy, she noticed it was much nicer than the place Tony was staying. She hadn't told him, but after Tony got his assignment, she had visualized his new home. It scared her to think that her brother would be living in a place like that, so she just didn't tell him. It was hard enough for the two of them to think of being apart for three years - they had always been together. She didn't want to make it worse than it was.  
  
Her apartment, on the 8th floor, was much bigger than she expected. Perhaps by earth standards it wasn't fancy, but, with the exception of the short time she was at Mr. Bolt's mansion, it was by far the nicest place she had ever lived. To her, of course, being outdoors with the animals was the best - there's nothing "fancier" than a canopy of trees, soft green grass beneath you, and countless forest animals to talk with. But, if she had to live in a building, this one would do nicely.  
  
She was exhausted, as much from the trip as from the sheer excitement of doing something she had never done before. She also couldn't shake the feeling, from somewhere deep within, that this adventure would change her life. And it wasn't a bad feeling - if her life was going to change because something terrible would happen or someone was going to die, she would have a completely different reaction. This feeling was that something good, something wonderful, was going to take place. She couldn't help but wonder what it was.  
  
One thing she knew for sure was that, when she felt this strongly that something was going to happen, it would happen. It always did. She felt this strongly that Lucas Deranian would figure in their lives, and he did - he even convinced Mrs. Grindly that he was Tony and Tia's uncle. She knew in her heart that Mr. Bolt was bad, and that he would try to keep them locked away forever, and she was right about that, too.  
  
But this time . something good? Something wonderful? Well, she'd have to wait and see. It will happen. She just didn't know when. Or what it would be.  
  
After she set up her transmitter, she looked at the letter she had received stating when she would start work. Since she didn't have to be there until 9:00, she told herself that she needed to be up by 8:00. She had always had the ability to set an "internal alarm clock," as she and Tony called it, and always wake up when she wanted to. As soon as she had set it, she fell asleep right away. Her dreams were sweet and hopeful. 


	7. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 07

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 7  
  
Tony found himself awake at about 10:00. He was too excited to sleep any longer, and he had never been one to oversleep. Even as a young boy at Granny Malone's house, he was up before she was and ready for school. That really impressed her, because she had grown up on a farm and was always up before sunrise to tend to the chores. Even after moving to the city, she kept rising early, but never as early as Tony.  
  
Many years later Tony learned why this was true. His people had an internal connection to nature around them, and since time, as humans understand it, is simply the measurement of the progress of nature - sun, moon, stars, and seasons - Homedwellers had an internal way to measure the passage of time (or "events," as they called it), and usually didn't need a timepiece to arise at a certain time or be on time for something.  
  
After a quick shower and a simple breakfast of grains and fruit, Tony grabbed his canvases and his bag and headed out. The sun was shining, the air was warm, and there were people everywhere. He was amazed - he had lived in a city in North Carolina, but it wasn't this big. Of course, few cities on earth could compare with New York City, but despite all he had seen and read, being among this many people was just mind-boggling.  
  
He found a corner where he could set up. He had passed others selling watches and jewelry, some selling art and shirts and wall hangings, and others playing music for donations or just sitting with their hands out waiting for money. He tried to find an area where others were plying their trade (so he could be sure that area would allow it) but far enough away that there wouldn't be much competition.  
  
As soon as he placed a few of his paintings along the wall behind him, people began to stop and look. He had been told by other Homedwellers that his paintings really attracted attention, but he had never seen the reaction himself. It made him feel really good inside to know that people admired his talent. He also set a sign up that said, "Paintings - Make offer." While he would be living on the money he made selling his paintings, he also had money to live on in case he didn't make much. Uncle Bené and the other Homedwellers had decided that was best, since those on assignment weren't there to make money but to find other Homedwellers. They had decided to set up an account at the bank that Homedwellers on assignment could tap into when needed. So he didn't care how much people gave him for his art - as long as they paid what they felt it was worth, he would accept it and use it for his needs.  
  
He then set up his easel and a blank canvas and got his palette out. He would do some actual painting while on the street as well. It would give him an excuse to observe activities and to watch people. Passersby wouldn't get angry at him for staring if they thought he was painting them. And that would allow him to notice anything he might need to.  
  
Attached to his easel was a wooden holder for business cards. He had some business cards made that simply said, "Tony - Artist." There was no address or phone number to put on it, so in the remaining space he had the double-star emblem. It was identical to the logo for Home, and the same image on the star cases each Homedweller had when they arrived on earth. He wasn't sure if any of the Homedwellers that had landed here many years ago would have star cases or know about the emblem, but it would be a huge lead if anyone recognized it.  
  
Over the course of the first few days Tony kept busy. Since he was a new face, people that had been passing that way every day in their commute or daily business were very interested. He had had to replenish his business cards three times, but no one had commented on the emblem yet. He had sold all of the paintings he brought with him, and had made over $100. He had used that to buy more canvases, brushes and paint, and had painted several new paintings since he had arrived.  
  
He had begun to notice patterns in some people's behavior. He had always been fairly observant, and had become even more so during his years at New Home. He recognized the cars and pedestrians that passed by him at the same time each day. He knew when businesses would close for lunch, or for the day. He even memorized the schedule of the few police he saw - they always seemed to come by at the same time during the day.  
  
While his senses had been on full alert (as much as possible while he was painting), he hadn't "picked up" anything. He didn't know if he'd be able to sense a Homedweller that way, but it sure would make it easier if he could! But so far, he had come up empty handed. During his nightly reports to Uncle Bené he had started to sound discouraged. He wasn't sure why - he couldn't have expected to have completed his three-year assignment in three days! But having always been a quick learner, he thought he would at least have some leads by now.  
  
Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri were so kind to him. They understood his frustration, but did try to caution him about his perception of his progress. Finding Homedwellers took time, and he had plenty of that. What he needed now was patience. He smiled as he realized how right they were. He had never been very patient.  
  
He thought he had prepared for everything, and was ready for any contingency. The one thing he should have expected, but didn't, was to be robbed. 


	8. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 08

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 8  
  
Up until this very moment, Tia had felt confident and excited. Now, as she prepared to climb the steps to the Capitol building, she had to force her feet to move. She had been looking forward to this moment for a long time, and had spent the past two years preparing for nothing but this. And now . she was scared. More than scared . terrified!  
  
Fear was something she had known often in her life, at least until arriving at New Home. Once she had found her people and settled in with them, the only fear she had really experienced was when Tony had been kidnapped by Dr. Gannon. She also feared for him after they had returned, until the night they had bonded.  
  
No, this fear was . different. This wasn't fear for her life, or fear for someone's safety. This was a fear of messing up. She had never been "center stage" before. No plan or event had ever depended on her. She had always been in the shadows, off to the side, or just part of a team effort. Not any more. Now it was all up to her. Would she be able to play the part? Could she talk the talk - look and sound and respond like a professional? After all, she was just a nature girl, more at home with the deer and bears and woods than with people, even Homedwellers. What was she thinking to accept three years of working side by side with humans, pretending to be one of them? What was Uncle Bené thinking?  
  
As she made her feet climb one step at a time, she forced the thoughts from her head. Each step she ascended meant one more fear she forced to be gone. This is what she had dreamed of, to make a difference, to step out of the shadows. Now she understood what "stage fright" meant. The spotlight, so to speak, was on her. If she succeeded, everyone would know. If she screwed up, everyone would know. But she had to realize, she told herself, the risk was part of the excitement. No risk, no thrill. She almost laughed out loud when, in her silent conversation with herself, her inner voice seemed to cry out, "But no one told me risk was so scary!"  
  
She made it to the top of the steps, through the front door, and past the security guard who checked her ID badge with his list of new employees. He directed her to the right elevator and the right floor. And there it was . the office of Eric Long, Senator from North Carolina.  
  
Tia knew very little about her new boss. She had been told (or actually had read in a report given her by the Homedwellers that set this up) that he was a first term senator and was one year away from reelection. Unlike other new senators, however, he preferred to keep working in Washington to help his constituents instead of going back home to campaign for his reelection. She also read that he was very detail-oriented, and he expected his assistant to be the same, while also keeping the big picture - schedule, appearances, votes, etc. - in mind.  
  
The receptionist, an older lady dressed very nicely, asked her name, and then asked her to be seated. She picked up her phone, dialed a three-digit extension, and said, "Senator, Tia Castaway here to see you." Then she hung up and said, "He'll be right out." And she went back to her typing.  
  
Tia was looking around at the office, trying to get to know it. She saw a desk back in one corner but before she could see who was there, a figure came around the corner from behind the receptionist's desk. Tia wasn't expecting this at all! This young man standing before her, dressed in a suit, couldn't be a U.S. Senator! Maybe she had just been around too many years, but she expected someone much older.  
  
She suddenly realized that she was staring at him. What was happening to her? Boy, this day was taking its toll on her! She just wasn't acting like herself at all! He approached her and said, "Tia?"  
  
She stood, smiled, and extended her right hand and said, "Tia Castaway. I'm your new assistant, Senator Long."  
  
He smiled and extended his hand and said, "Call me Eric. Nice to meet you, Tia! Welcome aboard."  
  
They shook hands, and Tia felt like she was in a dream. She wished she could just freeze the scene, step out of it, and slap herself! She had been around many men in her life, from two different planets even, and never reacted like this! She mentally berated herself and forced herself to start acting professional and not like an awestruck schoolgirl.  
  
As Eric led her to the back of the office complex, he pointed out his office, and that hers was right next to his. Tia noticed that she had two phones on her desk. She said, "It looks like a nice office - I love the view! But why do I have two phones?"  
  
He pointed at the beige phone with about 20 buttons on it, and said, "This is your contact with the rest of the world. It is the published number for my assistant, and all calls to you go there. You can set up a voice mail greeting yourself, or leave the standard one there provided by Uncle Sam. Now, this other phone," he said, as he pointed to a black one with just the standard key pad on it, "is your direct line with me, and vice versa. It's like an intercom, except that I hate intercoms. What's said over them is never private, so we have a phone instead. When I need you, this phone will ring. And when it does, whatever else you are doing can wait. If you're talking on the other phone, put them on hold or hang up. If you're writing a report or a letter, stop. This phone is your top priority. Is that clear?"  
  
Tia was a little startled by his directness. However, she sensed that Eric, instead of being pushy or a bully, simply a man who knew what he wanted and knew how to get it. "Wishy-washy" could never be used to describe him! She replied, "I understand perfectly, and it will be my top priority."  
  
The look Eric gave her was difficult to read. He seemed to either doubt her sincerity, or couldn't believe someone would be that willing to accept what he had just said. Tia, her nervousness having faded, began to feel that working for Eric itself would almost be a greater adventure than looking for other Homedwellers.  
  
Eric looked at her and said, "I appreciate that, Tia. You're here because the last three people who held your job didn't understand that. My work is often unrelenting. So many people think that the hardest part of getting to be a Senator is the campaigning and speaking and making promises. Well, if you're like some of my colleagues, that's right. But if you want to have any integrity at all, being a good senator is much harder than any campaign. I work my butt off to be the best I can be for those who elected me, and sometimes that doesn't allow me the luxury of waiting until you are off the phone. If I ever come across as rude, I apologize right now, because I assure I probably won't have time to apologize then! If you want a soft-spoken boss with an easygoing manner and a job that allows you to be comfortable, then you should probably go grab the classifieds. If you like some adventure and are willing to suffer some discomfort for it, you should find this job exhilarating!"  
  
Amazing, Tia thought. He is so focused, so passionate. The only humans I have met who were like that wanted to capture or hurt my people. He's just the opposite . but no less driven! I am definitely going to enjoy this!  
  
Not sure what her eyes were saying as she thought that, she straightened and said, "Eric, I am ready for any adventure you can send my way. When do we get started?"  
  
Eric smiled, which not only lit his whole face but also the whole room, and said, "Well, first we introduce you to your gofer. I need you here, accessible, so when there are errands to be run, you send him. That way you're where I need you to be."  
  
Tia actually laughed. All of her experience with animals had prepared her, when hearing the word "gofer," to actually picture a gopher! She knew from her studies what a gofer was, of course - someone that you send to "go for" things for you. But she couldn't help picturing a little animal with big teeth wearing a suit, running an errand for her.  
  
Eric seemed a little puzzled by the laughter, and she said, "I'm sorry, I just pictured a real 'gopher' when you said that! It just struck me as funny." She hoped she hadn't offended him or made him think she was weird. She had to gain his trust to be able to do what she came here for . her real job - the assignment.  
  
Eric laughed and said, "You know, I got the same mental picture. I just thought I was tired, but it is a funny sight! But don't worry, the gofer we have for you is much better than the gopher you pictured! Turn around and meet him."  
  
Tia turned, not realizing someone else was there. Standing next to the desk that she had seen near the corner of the main office was a man, slightly taller than Tia, with kind features.  
  
The man cocked his head and looked surprised. He said, "Tia . is that you?"  
  
Tia's mouth flew open. There was something familiar about him, but what human would she know? She had had contact with so few of them. She composed herself, extended her hand, and said, "Yes, I'm Tia. Tia Castaway. Have we met?"  
  
The gofer grinned as he shook her hand and said, "Yes, we have! You probably don't remember me, but I'm Kurt Garrison."  
  
Tia's brow knotted as she tried to remember. Her memory was usually photographic, and she could remember minute details even years later. Her brain was telling her that she did know this man, or had before, but for some reason her brain wouldn't tell her any more than that!  
  
He chuckled and said, "Maybe this will refresh your memory." Then he stepped back, and, as his open hands came up near his face like fireworks going off, he said, "I'm Dazzler!" 


	9. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 09

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 9  
  
He should have seen it coming. Tony had studied about life on the streets, he had heard that it can be dangerous to live in a big city, and he was out on the street, day after day, seeing how life unfolded there. It shouldn't have surprised him.  
  
But why would anyone rob him? He just didn't expect it. A kind gentleman wanted to buy a painting, and as he handed Tony the thirty dollars, Tony didn't want to stuff it in his pocket until he first had given the man the painting. So he carefully set the money onto his easel, wedged in between the edge of the easel and the canvas still on it. He turned around to pick up the painting from among those along the wall, and he heard footsteps run past him quickly.  
  
Instinctively he turned around, and the money was gone. The man buying the painting was standing there, looking down the street where the thief had run. The thief wasn't that far away, and Tony saw him. He was shocked! The boy couldn't be any older than 12 or 13. He was dressed in jeans with holes in them, baggy jeans at that, a large t-shirt, a baseball cap on backward, and shoes that weren't tied.  
  
That last item worked to Tony's advantage. If the shoes had been tied, the boy could have run faster and been around the corner before Tony could do anything. Tony handed the painting to the buyer, then off running to catch the boy. As he ran, he focused his concentration on the boy's shoelaces. Though the boy was completely unaware of what was happening, his shoelaces began to move on their own. The laces on his right shoe began to wrap around his left leg, and those on the left shoe headed toward his right leg. Just as he was about to go around the corner, two things happened. He glanced toward Tony's stand and realized that Tony was running toward him. At that same instant, his legs quit moving as the laces held them tight, and he fell forward.  
  
He landed with such a thud that Tony was afraid he had hurt the boy. However, he had landed on his arms, which were quite scraped at the elbows, and was kicking his legs furiously, trying to get them apart from each other. He even tried scooting forward as Tony got near, probably afraid he would be going to jail.  
  
As Tony arrived at the prone figure, he stopped to think - why was he doing this? He didn't have to have the money . his needs taken care of. Looking at the boy, he realized that the poor kid probably needed it more than he did. And Tony didn't want him to go to jail. So why did he do it? He really couldn't say.  
  
Putting on a stern face, Tony looked down into the frightened eyes of the boy. Always compassionate, Tony's heart nearly broke as he saw that this boy wasn't much older than 10. The kid tried to look tough, but inside he was scared and desperate. Tony's face softened a bit as he reached down and took the money out of the boy's hand. "I believe this belongs to me."  
  
After pocketing the bills, he reached down to grasp the boy's arm and help him up. The boy looked at him with some uncertainty, then let Tony pick him up. As he looked down at his shoelaces, shock crept across his expression. "How did that happen?" he asked loudly. Tony just said, "Are you OK?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess so. Are you gonna call the cops?" he asked.  
  
Somehow, Tony knew exactly what he was going to do. It just seemed right. "No," he replied. "I won't if you will do two things for me."  
  
The boy looked suspiciously at Tony and said, "What?"  
  
"Number one - tell me your name. Number two - if you need money, work for me instead of stealing it."  
  
Dumbfounded, the boy said, slowly, "I'm Ty."  
  
"Ty - nice to meet you. My name is Tony." Tony extended his hand, and Ty shook it, and then winced from the pain in his arms.  
  
Tony said, "Come back to my stand. I have a rag and some water - we can clean up your wounds." Tony waited as Ty reached down to loosen the laces that were wrapped around his lower legs.  
  
Then Ty numbly followed Tony as he headed back toward his easel. No one was watching - apparently New York City residents were used to petty theft and didn't pay much attention. Back at the easel, Tony got his water bottle out of his duffle bag, and then poured some water on one of his clean paint rags. He carefully, softly, cleaned to wounds on both of Ty's elbows. Ty grimaced and sucked in his breath once, but otherwise was still and silent.  
  
Tony tried to make conversation. "So, Ty, how old are you? Do you go to school?"  
  
"Um. well, I'm 11. And I used to go to school, but now I don't."  
  
Tony tried to be nonchalant in his questions as he cleaned the boy's wounds. "Eleven and you don't go to school? Wow. Why did they let you stop? Are you too smart for everyone?" He smiled at Ty as he asked that.  
  
Ty actually smiled back. "Nah, I'm not that smart." Then he stopped talking, and he got a very serious look on his face. "Do you really wanna know why I quit?"  
  
Tony looked him directly in the eyes. "Yes, Ty, I'd really like to know."  
  
The boy's eyes got misty, but no tears escaped, as he said, "I want to help my mom. Ever since my dad died, she has to work all the time. She can't afford no babysitter for me, and I hate school, so I decided to quit school and try to make some money. Only problem is no one would hire me."  
  
Tony's eyes misted as well, but he wasn't sure it was a good idea for Ty to see him cry yet. Some of this might be an act, although deep down Tony didn't think so. He kept remembering how he had felt the night that Tia had salved his inner wounds, and how good it felt to be trusted and cared for. Something in him told him that Ty needed that, too.  
  
"That's pretty cool, Ty, you wanting to help your mom. Does she know you quit school so you could work?"  
  
"Nah. I didn't tell her that - I'm afraid she'd be mad. But I don't know what to do now. You're the first person I ever tried to steal from, and I couldn't even do that. I can't work and I can't steal. And how come you're being so nice to me?" He said the last phrase almost as an accusation.  
  
Tony sat down on the ground, next to Ty, both of them leaning back against the building. "Well, Ty, believe it or not, when I was around your age, I was out on the street, too. Both my mom and dad died when I was real little, and I ended up out on the street running away from some bad people. Fortunately, I never had to steal - someone helped me out and even helped me find other members of my family. So in some ways I know how you feel, and how hard it is for you. And my offer still stands - do you want to work for me?"  
  
Ty seemed genuinely interested, but also afraid to really believe in Tony's good intentions. "What would I do for you? I can't paint, and you don't seem to have anything else you do!"  
  
"There are a lot of things I could use your help with. You can clean my brushes and my rags. You can pick up my canvases when the wind knocks them over. I can send you to the store with money and you can get me more brushes or supplies. And sometimes I might even send you to my apartment to get things I need there. I'll pay you $5 an hour and buy you lunch. But you have to always be honest with me - no lying and no stealing. Do we have a deal?"  
  
Ty was almost drooling at the prospect. He asked one final question. "How long do I have to work every day?"  
  
"You can work when you want to. When you're here, you get paid. When you're not, you don't. Also, some time I have to meet your mom. I just can't have you working for me and not tell her. She deserves to know. But for now, if it will keep you from stealing and from getting into trouble, I'd rather have you here, earning money honestly that you can use to help your mom. Deal?"  
  
Ty actually showed his teeth in a huge grin. "Deal!" he said, as he stuck out his hand to dramatically shake Tony's hand. 


	10. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 10  
  
"Dazzler?! What are you doing here?" Tia exclaimed. "I would never have expected to find you in Washington, D.C.! What happened? How did you end up here?"  
  
Kurt - Dazzler - was laughing by now. "You'd never believe me! The last time I saw you, the truant officer, Mr. Yoyo, was taking us to school. You told us that, if we went to school, we'd be as smart as you and Tony. Well, we believed you, and . well, here I am! I studied sociology in college, then went on from there to economics, and ended up studying law. I didn't like being a lawyer that much, so I switched. I'm kinda getting in on the ground floor in politics, working for Senator Long. I've been an intern, now I'm a gofer. I'm really moving up in the world!"  
  
Eric was listening to this, fascinated and wanting to find out more, when his phone began to ring. Tia turned as if she needed to answer it, and he said, "No, it's my line from the Senate floor. You two carry on - but when I'm done with the call, I'll need you, Tia." And he hurried off.  
  
Kurt said to her, "Now, how did you end up the assistant of a U.S. Senator? This I have to hear!" He was smiling again.  
  
Tia didn't know what to say. Although it had been years since she had met Kurt and his friends - the Earthquake Gang - Tia had all but forgotten that part of her and Tony's adventure in the city. What she had remember most was looking for Tony. Had it not been for the Gang, she could never have found him and broken Dr. Gannon's hold on him. Now, as she thought back, she realized that Kurt had seen her lift cars, repair a van, make people levitate . he had even seen their lifeboat!  
  
Kurt could completely blow her cover if he wasn't careful, and she needed to talk to him some more before she could confide much in him. So she said, "It's a long story, Daz-, uh, Kurt. Since today's my first day on the job, I don't want to get into it yet. Could we have lunch or dinner some time, and I could fill you in? I'd love to find out more about your life as well, and how the rest of your 'gang' is doing!"  
  
At that Kurt laughed again. "Oh yeah, I'll have to tell you about all of them! You won't believe their stories, either. Yeah, let's plan on dinner. I know a great place, and it's not too expensive. How about tomorrow night, 7:00? We can exchange numbers later."  
  
"Sounds great. I better go check on Eric. See you in a while."  
  
Kurt returned to his desk, and Tia headed toward Eric's door. It was closed, so she went into her new office and sat down. She wanted to get a feel for where she'd be working for a while. She looked around - the walls were white and bare. She'd have to fix that. The room definitely needed some plants and a few pictures of animals. She wished she could have Tony paint her some, but that wouldn't be possible yet. As she thought of him, she wondered how she was doing. She tried to visualize his paint stand, and was almost seeing it when the black phone suddenly rang. She jumped, then picked it up. "Yes, Eric?"  
  
Eric said, almost abruptly, "Come into my office now. Bring some paper to take notes with."  
  
"Right away!" she replied, and she was already on her feet, notepad in hand, before she hung up the phone.  
  
She went to his office, and since the door was still closed, she knocked. "Come in!" Eric called form inside. As she entered, he said, "Two more things you should know. One - if I call you to tell you to get in here, don't knock when you get here. Just come in. And two, if I tell you to bring a notepad, always shut the door after you come in. We'll be talking about something that is potentially confidential."  
  
Tia went back to shut the door and said, "Got it." She sat down in the chair closest to Eric's desk and got ready to take notes. He said, "Don't write anything down yet. Let me give you some background." She set the notepad and pen down and gave him her full attention.  
  
He continued, "Growing up in the 70's, you probably remember a lot of hype over UFO's and such. It seemed like everyone was seeing space ships and aliens. Movies like Close Encounters and E.T. probably didn't help matters much. Well, one group has taken it farther than most. They call themselves AAAI - Americans Against Alien Invasion - and they swear that, around the late-1960's, a group of aliens landed in North Carolina to take refuge on some mountain. Now, I know that sounds farfetched, but as wild as this group is, I'm still their Senator, and I need to listen to them.  
  
"What they are requesting is legislation that would allow them access to U.S. government files on that time period. Not only that, they are asking for unrestricted access to the area now, including satellite photos and GPS mapping information. They also want me to force the local people in the area to permit them to set up surveillance camps of the mountain in question."  
  
Tia was stunned. She wanted to remain calm, but how could she when this man was describing the efforts of a group that wanted to wipe her people out, or - worse - capture them and do experiments on them! Tia tried not to tremble or look shocked, but apparently it didn't work very well. Eric apparently thought she was shocked at the outrageousness of the request, because he said, "Hey, don't look so concerned. I won't let a bunch of extremists put one over on the U.S. Government! I'm giving you some background for your first assignment with me."  
  
Suddenly Tia was overwhelmed with a feeling - almost like the flashbacks she had as a child, when she could see herself, Tony, and Uncle Bené floating in the sea - only this was a vision that she was learning the reason she was here. This was no accident - just as she and Tony had been in the right place to save Lucas Deranian's life, she was here to help her people. This was her chance to do just that.  
  
Feeling just a little bit better from that revelation, she grabbed the notepad and pen and said, "OK, Eric . what do you want me to do?"  
  
He smiled and said, "Alright. First of all, check the internet for anything about aliens and North Carolina in the 1970's. Find out what's available - where is this group getting their information? Second - call over to the U.S. Geological Survey on my behalf. Request any data they can give you on satellite pictures and GPS tracking from the area in northwest North Carolina. I think they said the place was called Stone Creek or Misty Creek or something like that. I won't forget the name of the mountain, though. It was "Witch Mountain"! Now who else but a superstitious bunch of people would name a mountain that?"  
  
Tia tried to smile and said, "That sounds exactly like the way you would get a name like that! I'll get right on this. Do you have a timeline for me? How long is too long searching the internet, for example?"  
  
Eric smiled as he said, "Now that's a great question! I wish your predecessors had showed this much initiative! Then again . maybe not! If they had done their job, you wouldn't be here!"  
  
Not sure how to take the compliment, Tia looked away briefly. Eric cleared his throat and said, "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. I was trying to convey the fact that I can tell you will be great at this job, and I'm glad you're here."  
  
Tia smiled, her eyes sparkling, as she looked at him. "I can't tell you how glad I am to be here, Senator Eric!" 


	11. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 11  
  
Ty turned out to be a real asset. He seemed to throw himself 100% into anything he did. He eagerly cleaned brushes and rags, made sure that the paintings were always standing up, and even rotated them once in a while to give the whole display a different look. He had proven trustworthy in going to the store to get supplies for Tony, always bringing back the receipt and exact change.  
  
As Tony was painting a scene of the sun setting behind one of the skyscrapers in the area, the wind gusted and blew down a few of the paintings. It also whipped Tony's business cards out of their holder attached to his easel. Once Ty got the paintings righted again, Tony said, "Ty, could you get my business cards? They're all over, and I've got paint on my hands!"  
  
It was fun to watch as Ty almost hopped from card to card, like a big frog, trying to land on each one before the wind picked it up again. Within two or three minutes he had collected all of Tony's cards and put them back into the card holder. Then he looked at the holder, and carefully picked up one card and began to study it.  
  
Tony watched him for a moment and then asked, "What's wrong, Ty? Is my business card too ugly for you?" He had meant to be funny, but Ty's expression was serious.  
  
Ty looked up and said, "I was just noticing the picture you have on here. It's pretty cool. What does it mean?"  
  
Tony had prepared for that question, in case anyone had asked (and some had). He said, "Well, basically that is the emblem that my ancestors used to represent my family. I thought it would be good to have something to connect me to them, so I used it."  
  
He still seemed mesmerized by it. He nodded his head at Tony's explanation, and said, "Could I show this to my mom?"  
  
Now Tony had stopped painting entirely. Something was going on here. He said, "Sure, Ty. Can I ask why you want to?"  
  
He said, "Well, something weird happened this weekend, and I had kinda forgotten about it until now. I don't see my mom very much, and lots of times I'm home alone. Saturday I was trying to find one of my CD's, and since I hadn't seen it in a while, I figured maybe it was in the closet. Couldn't find it, then I saw a box up on the top shelf. It was too high, so I got a chair and pulled the box down. Well, my CD wasn't there, but there was this really cool wooden box, with a strap. And it had a big, well, this symbol, on it, in gold coloring. It was beautiful and shiny. I just kept staring at it, and then."  
  
Tony was holding his breath. His heart was beating rapidly, and he was trying to remain calm on the outside. This was it! This was what he had been waiting for!  
  
But Ty stopped talking. And a tear made its way down his cheek.  
  
Tony stepped closer, carefully putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Ty, it's OK. You can tell me. What happened?"  
  
He spoke in such a quiet voice, almost as if he were afraid to be heard. "Well . my mom . she was there. I didn't know it. I guess the noise of the box hitting the floor woke her up, and she came out of her room." He paused again, as if he didn't want to remember it. "And she came up and just grabbed the wooden box out of my hand and yelled at me, 'What are you doing with my stuff? I told you to leave this stuff alone!'"  
  
He was trying so hard not to cry, but the tears kept coming, and his voice stopped. He couldn't continue. Tony just squeezed his shoulder and stood close by, not knowing how close to get, not wanting to scare this frightened boy away, and yet wanting Ty to know that it was OK to cry, and OK to want to feel secure.  
  
Ty leaned into him, sobbing. Then he tried to make the crying stop, and succeeded a bit. He continued, "I honestly didn't remember her ever telling me that before. I didn't even know the box was there. But I did remember later that there was some special stuff from my dad, and that she didn't want to keep it where she could see it all the time, 'cuz it made her sad, but she wanted to hang on to it. Anyway, she put the wooden thing back into the box, and then went back to bed. And I went for a walk outside."  
  
Tony exhaled. He was so close, and yet he had to be so careful. He didn't want to do anything to hurt this boy - even finding a Homedweller wasn't worth crushing this boy's spirit. He said, "Ty, did the box with the gold stars on it belong to your dad or to your mom?"  
  
Ty shook his head. "I dunno. She didn't say. I'd never seen it before. It's a pretty star, though. Hey, Tony ." he continued, as if the thought just occurred to him, ". do you think your family is related to my mom's family?"  
  
Laughing, but almost crying at the same time, Tony said, "That's what I want to find out, Ty. Wouldn't it be cool if you and I were related?"  
  
Ty looked up at Tony with a smile, and with a look of almost hero-worship on his face, and said, "Man, that would be awesome." 


	12. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 12  
  
Tia decided that, if Eric could be decisive and get what he wanted, then she could, too. She walked back into the main office and got Kurt's attention. He came over to her, and she said, "Come into my office for a minute."  
  
He did, and she closed the door - something she hoped wasn't inappropriate. She just didn't feel right leaving the door open. She turned around and said, "Kurt, we have a lot of catching up to do. But right now I need your help. Eric has already given me my first assignment, and it involves a lot of research. I'd like your assistance."  
  
He smiled that, well, dazzling smile, and said, "I thought you'd never ask! What can I do?"  
  
Tia smiled back and said, "I need you to find anything you can on a group called Americans Against Alien Invasion, or AAAI for short. They have members in North Carolina, but I suspect they go beyond the borders of one state. Print out information or email me hyperlinks to sites - just find everything you can on them."  
  
"Can do, boss!" He laughed. "Seriously, Tia . it's great seeing you again. How's Tony?"  
  
"He's doing very well, thanks. I know he'd love to find out that I've met up with you. If I get the chance, I'll call him tonight and let him know. And then I can tell you his comments over dinner tomorrow! Now . get to work, 'gofer'!"  
  
They both laughed, and he returned to his desk and started browsing.  
  
Tia, however, had one more thing to do. She looked toward her watch and began sending a message to New Home. "Uncle Bené, this is Tia. It's urgent! I must speak with you right away, if at all possible." She knew that someone monitored messages from those on assignment 24 hours a day. She would either hear back immediately, or just wait for Uncle Bené to contact her.  
  
Suddenly she "heard" a voice - it sounded like someone standing right behind her, talking to her. She realized that it was the voice of a Homedweller coming through her watch/transmitter. She had never heard anyone speak over the machine before, so the sensation was new. It wasn't audible - if Eric had been there, he wouldn't have heard it. But she could.  
  
It was Uncle Bené. "Tia, are you alright? I came as soon as I was told. Are you in trouble?" He sounded genuinely worried. She realized he must be - she had never been on her own before, and now, less than 8 hours after being alone she was sending an urgent transmission!  
  
"Yes, Uncle Bené, I'm fine. I just had to tell you what I've already learned." She went on to describe the AAAI and the effort to let the government open up Witch Mountain for investigation. She also told him her role in this so far, as well as Eric's.  
  
Despite the seriousness of the situation, Uncle Bené couldn't help but needle her a little bit. "Oh, it's Eric, is it? Whatever happened to protocol and calling him 'Senator Long'?" He chuckled. Tia laughed out loud and said, "Oh, Uncle Bené, is that all you can think about? He insisted on it, if you need to know!"  
  
Then he said, "I know, Tia. I just have to make sure you keep your sense of humor there. And I already miss you - it's good to hear you laugh. Now, about the situation. As you know, we have our own research capabilities, as well as a good number of undercover Homedwellers. We'll start investigating all of this ourselves, and I'll let you know what we find out the minute we do."  
  
"Thanks, Uncle Bené. I appreciate that. If I learn anything else as well, I'll communicate it right away. I have this strong feeling that this isn't the last urgent transmission you'll receive from me. The funny thing is, I also feel strongly that this will be a very successful assignment. I'm having trouble putting the two together, but I know both are right."  
  
He replied, "Don't discount either one, Tia. While the message you just delivered is urgent and serious, I can't think of anything more positive than receiving it. Can you imagine what we would have done if we didn't even know about this threat? Now we can begin checking it ourselves and prepare a defense if this group is given access to our area. You are exactly where you need to be, doing what we need you to do. Now, do your work - both your 'day job' and your 'real job,' and try to enjoy both. Take advantage of the fun, light moments, because they don't come as often as we like. Laugh as often as you can, and then be serious when you need to."  
  
Tia loved listening to Uncle Bené. He was always so encouraging, and always seemed so . right. She needed the pep talk.  
  
"I will. Thanks, Uncle Bené. I better get back to work. I'll be in touch tonight, if not sooner. Tell Aunt Bri I said 'Hi,' and take care!"  
  
"You too, Tia. We will be in touch." And he was gone. 


	13. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 13  
  
Tony and Tia had spoken almost daily since they had arrived at their assignments, but this time Tony couldn't wait to talk to his sister. He was so excited about possibly finding another Homedweller already! He almost couldn't form the words, and wished he could just transmit thoughts as pictures so she could understand it all . but he wasn't able to do that at will.  
  
Tia was very excited as well. She told Tony to call her, day or night, as soon as he found out for sure what was happening. He promised he would.  
  
The next day, Ty didn't show up, and at lunchtime Tony finally became concerned. Ty had not passed up a free lunch so far! Tony wanted to check up on him, but realized he had no idea where Ty lived. He thought about trying to get a mental fix on Ty, to locate him as if he were a Homedweller, but wasn't sure how that would work, either. He decided to try to be patient, knowing that things that are supposed to happen often do.  
  
He was roused from his thoughts by the man taking one of his business cards. Something seemed very familiar about the tall, red-haired man with the piercing eyes, but Tony wasn't sure what. The man took the card, looked it over, put it in his pocket, then looked at Tony. Their eyes made contact briefly, and the stranger nodded his head toward Tony and then walked away.  
  
Boy, that was bizarre. He could have at least said something! Tony thought. Wait . those eyes. There was something about the eyes . no, not the eyes, but the gaze, the glare, the way he looked at Tony. What was it?  
  
Not wanting to fret over the strange man or Ty, Tony got back to painting. Today he was trying to capture the lightning he had seen over the sky the night before. It hadn't rained much, but the electrical storm had been spectacular. He was having fun trying to make the lightning look just right when he sensed someone was behind him.  
  
He was going to turn around slowly, but before he could, he heard a young voice say, "Hi, Tony. Sorry I'm late." Tony turned around to see Ty standing there with a woman. She looked so much like Ty she had to be his mom.  
  
Tony wasn't sure whom to address first, so he decided to respond to Ty. "No problem, Ty. You know you can show up whenever you want." Then he looked at the woman and said, "My name's Tony." He extended his right hand.  
  
She shook his and said, "I'm Trina, Ty's mom. Are you the one that's been keeping him out of trouble?"  
  
Tony smiled and said, "Well, to tell you the truth, I've just given him a place to hang out. He's the one who's keeping him out of trouble." At that Ty's face broke into a huge smile. He looked so proud of himself. Trina noticed it and mussed his hair as she laughed.  
  
"Well, I just wanted to thank you. Ty's dad died about 5 years ago, and life isn't easy for a single mom in New York. I just didn't have anywhere else to go, and no family I knew of to help. I make too much at my jobs to get help from social services, but not enough to really get ahead, so we've just had to make do. You've really been a godsend."  
  
Tony smiled and said, "I'm so glad I could help. Ty is a bright kid, and a very hard worker. You should be proud of him."  
  
"Oh, I am. I always knew he could go far with the right opportunities . I just haven't had the chance to help him get any of those opportunities. Speaking of which ." she started digging in her purse, "how much do I owe you? I understand you've paid him quite well."  
  
Tony held up his hands in front of him, palms out, and said, "You don't owe me a thing. Ty earned all of that money. The errands he runs for me allow me to keep my stand open. He's helping me earn more money by the work he does, and I don't mind paying him. I have to admit that I was concerned about him missing school, but I was glad that he was at least safe."  
  
Trina nodded, "Oh, me too. It's almost summer anyway, so I'm not going to worry about it until next year. Do you mind if he keeps helping you? You wouldn't believe how much good it does me to know he's OK."  
  
"I'd love to have him keep working here. I'm glad it's fine with you - I'd hate to see him go!" He winked at Ty, and Ty grinned again.  
  
"Great! Well, I have to get to work. Ty, remember I won't be home until midnight, and I expect to find you in bed, TV off and lights out, when I get home!" She looked at Tony and said, "Thanks again!" and started to leave.  
  
Tony said, "Trina, wait just a second." He turned and got a business card for her and handed it to her. "I know it's not much information, but I wanted you to at least have that." He was watching her face to see what it might say that her words would not.  
  
The color practically drained from her face when she saw the card. She was silent, then looked up with a faraway expression and said, "Nice logo. Where did you get it?"  
  
Tony replied in a quiet voice, as if talking to a skittish deer to keep it from running away, "It's my family's emblem. I use it as a way of honoring them."  
  
"Your family?" Tony could see her mind working, the wheels turning, trying to put it all together. "What is your family's name, Tony?"  
  
"They go by Castaway. . I know it's a strange name." he started.  
  
"Castaway?" Her eyes went wide. "Tony, I have to get to work, but some time we need to talk."  
  
Tony said, "You know, I don't have a family to go home to, and my schedule is whatever I want it to be. Would it help if I watched Ty tonight, and we could talk when you get home? I don't want to intrude, but I'd love to talk about this family thing. I don't want to put it off. If you're not sure about me being in your home, I completely understand. I just thought I'd offer."  
  
He wasn't sure what her reaction would be. He didn't want her to think he was trying to make a play for her or trying to abuse Ty. He was honest when he said he didn't want to put it off - this conversation could be the most important thing he'd ever done.  
  
She didn't seem offended. She said, "You know, I trust you Tony. I don't know why, but I do. I think it's because you've been so kind to Ty so far and have done more than even a Good Samaritan would do. Yeah, once you close up your stand, Ty can lead you to our house. It's not nice, and I'm never there to clean it, but we need to talk. I'll see you around midnight."  
  
"OK. Take it easy at work! We'll see you tonight."  
  
As she walked away quickly, apparently late, she said, "See you then! Ty . be good!" And she went around the corner, out of sight.  
  
Ty ran over and hugged Tony, nearly knocking him over. Tony wasn't expecting this! Ty said, "Wow, you get to come to my house! Oh Tony, I hope you and my mom figure out that we're in the same family . that would be the best thing I could ever imagine!"  
  
Tony rubbed the boy's head, then hugged him back. Tonight would definitely prove to be interesting!  
  
Across the street, in a small café with large windows, the redheaded man sat at a table. Even if Tony had been looking that way, he wouldn't have seen him. But the man could see Tony and Ty, and had been watching when Trina was there. He was taking notes, and had a camera trained on the group. 


	14. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 14  
  
Tia hadn't been this busy in her life. Eric seemed to never quit moving, and he usually needed Tia with him. She made calls, arranged appointments, set up interviews with the press, and accompanied him to official events. When she wasn't with him, she was busy doing the research he had asked for. She was amazed at the amount of information available about the so-called "alien threat" of the late 1960's (when her people actually did arrive) and the early 1970's. Most of it was without proof, and some of it she was actually able to cross-reference with top-secret government information about test flights and experiments.  
  
Despite her inner assurance that things would turn out well, she carried several concerns. The first was her report to Eric. She had been given one month to accumulate all of the information he requested. Between her efforts, Kurt's research, and special sources from Uncle Bené, she had enough information to fill a 20-page report easily. The problem was that most of it pointed to some kind of phenomenon in North Carolina near Witch Mountain. She even found the news article where she let the bear out of the cage at Sheriff Purdy's jail. That was fun to see, but also troubling. It didn't mention her name, and the only picture was of the empty cage, but it was still a potential problem. She didn't want to lie to Eric, and yet she couldn't tell him the truth.  
  
That led to the second concern. Tia found that she had developed real feelings for Eric. When he escorted her to official functions, it always felt like a date. They had never talked intimately, never held hands or kissed, but the feelings were there. She knew she had them, and she could also sense the feelings of others, so she knew for a fact how Eric felt about her. But what should she do?  
  
During her years at New Home, she had heard her fellow Homedwellers debate the pros and cons of marrying humans. It was always a tricky topic, and while they never argued - disagreements among her people never got personal - there was no consensus. If she were to marry a human, for example, first she would have to tell him that she is from a different planet. That would cause him to wonder if they could have children, and what those children would be like And, of course, she would outlive him by many years, since her people have longer life spans. No Homedweller that she had known had married a human, and the genetic complications of a human and a Homedweller bearing children were completely unknown.  
  
Having feelings for Eric would complicate everything. Part of being on assignment, by its very nature, meant deceiving the humans you worked with. If she really cared for Eric, she wouldn't deceive him. And yet, what could she do - walk up to him and say, "Boss, I'm in love with you, but I'm from another planet and I don't want you to harm my people?"  
  
At least the last concern, which was working with Kurt, had been resolved. They had had a wonderful dinner together her first week at work, and had talked late into the night. He had nothing but respect for Tia and Tony and great memories of the time they spent with her. He even admitted that he'd had a crush on her for a long time, until he really thought about the spaceship and the abilities she possessed. That caused him to realize that, whatever Tia was (because she obviously wasn't human), it would probably never work.  
  
He did ask a little bit about what she was, and Tia answered him honestly. She didn't tell him everything, but she did talk about her people and why she was in Washington. Kurt was supportive and said he would be happy to help her. He also talked glowingly about Eric and the work he had done during his first term. It made Tia admire Eric all the more, but she still wasn't sure how good that was.  
  
She had talked with Tony a little bit about the situation, and he supported her. He knew her well enough to know that her heart was rarely wrong. Tony would never have adopted a cat, but Winky turned out to be a real asset. He would have left the bear in the cage, and yet it had helped them get away from Mr. Deranian. He would have stayed at Mr. Bolt's for a while longer, and they would have ended up prisoners for good - it was Tia's instincts that got them out. So if she felt in her heart that Eric was right for her, he wouldn't stand in her way. It left some questions unanswered, but that had never stopped Tia from being right!  
  
All of this was going through Tia's head when there was a knock at her door. The door was open, so she looked to see who it was. Eric stood there, almost tentative. He had never knocked before if the door was open, but had come right in. Tia could sense something different in him. She greeted him, "Hi, Eric. Come on in."  
  
He did, and he sat down in a chair facing her desk. "Tia, I have been invited to dine with the President and his wife tomorrow night. It will be a very formal dinner at the White House. I was told I could bring a guest, and . well, I'd like you to join me."  
  
Tia's heart skipped several beats, and she tried to think of how to respond. "Well, Eric . if you need me to be there, you know I will go. I would love to meet the President! Do you need me to take any notes or bring anything?"  
  
Eric smiled a little, and looked away for a second. Then he looked her in the eyes and said, "No, Tia. Not at all. You're not going as my assistant - I'm asking you out on a date." His eyes sparkled as he said it.  
  
Tia probably looked as incredulous as she felt. She didn't know why she was surprised, since she had already sensed how Eric felt about her. Perhaps it was actually hearing it that shocked her. "A date? Really? Wow. Um . Eric, I don't want to say no . in fact, I really want to say yes. But, I'm your assistant. I work with you. Shouldn't we talk about this?"  
  
He stood and said, "Yes, we should. We really need to. But first, would you accompany me? If the date goes well, and we have fun, then we should talk afterward. If it doesn't go well, and you absolutely hate me afterward, then we won't have anything to talk about, will we?" He was grinning, and Tia couldn't help laughing.  
  
"I guess you're right. What time will you pick me up, Prince Eric?" Now her eyes sparkled.  
  
He bowed slight, and, putting on his very best British accent, he said, "Milady, my coach will arrive at exactly half past six." And he walked out the door toward his office.  
  
She sat back in her chair, and almost yelled telepathically into her watch. "Uncle Bené! Help me!" She didn't expect a response - it was more of a desire to talk to someone about this. Suddenly Eric peeked around the corner and said, "Did you say something?"  
  
Tia looked flustered. She tried to think - had she said anything audibly? She didn't think she had. So she said, "No. What did you hear?"  
  
He frowned and said, "I'm not sure. Must be my hearing - I guess my checkup is overdue! See you later."  
  
Now what was that all about? Tia wondered. 


	15. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 15

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or Walt Disney. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in both the book Escape to Witch Mountain as well as the movie of the same name, although the book and the movie differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be.  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 15  
  
Tony and Ty had worked at the stand until about 6:00. While the weather was nice, both were tired from the day they'd had and were ready to just chill out. Also, they both usually went their separate ways, but today they would be hanging out together, and that called for knocking off early.  
  
Not sure what Trina might have for them to eat, and not wanting to use her food, Tony insisted on buying supper. Not being a meat eater, Tony opted for a big vegetarian pizza. Ty wrinkled up his nose at that thought, so Tony offered to get him his own cheese pizza. Ty accepted.  
  
Ty's home was hardly that. It was an apartment, about the same size as, if not smaller than, Tony's. And two people with a lot of stuff lived there, as opposed to Tony and his duffle bag. It was actually only about three blocks from Tony's, and was on the second floor. Tony cleared some space on the kitchen counter and they set the pizzas down there.  
  
It was evident that Trina didn't have any time to clean. Tony felt bad for her, and he wanted to help her. He had to find a couple of plates and wash them off, then do the same with the forks. It looked like everything got washed as it was needed. Tony had an idea, but waited until after eating to spring it on Ty.  
  
The two of them sat on the run-down couch and ate pizza while watching a couple of sitcoms. Ty laughed out loud through his pizza, which made a funny noise. Tony, not having had a "normal" childhood, and not being of this world, often did not understand the humor in sitcoms. He knew they exaggerated the situations a family faces, but he didn't always know what was normal for a family and what was exaggeration.  
  
Once they'd both eaten enough, Tony turned the TV off. "Ty, I have another job for you, if you'll accept it. Your mom works herself to exhaustion because she wants to make sure you have what you need. I bet paying for this apartment takes all the money she gets from one job, and the other is to make sure you have food, clothes, etc. Am I right?"  
  
Ty nodded, listening intently. He seemed to really want to hear what Tony thought about things.  
  
Tony continued, "Well, why don't we surprise your mom tonight? How about letting her come home to a clean house? I'll wash the dishes, and you get all of the dirty clothes and blankets out of the living room. We might not be able to do the whole house, but we could make a good dent. Then she can relax more when she comes home."  
  
Ty thought about it, and said, "You know, Tony, I've wanted to do something like that, but I'm no good at cleaning, and I could never do this myself. Yeah, let's work together for her! That would be cool. I could even vacuum and also make her bed and stuff."  
  
"Great! Let's get started. You know, I always work better to music. Do you want to put some on, and we can listen while we clean?"  
  
"Yeah, let me get my CD player and set it up! You'll love this music." And he ran to his room to get it.  
  
Tony had started washing dishes when the most horrendous noise he had ever heard came from the living room. He peered around the corner and saw Ty dancing - if you could call it that - to the "music" coming from his portable CD player. Tony shook his head and went back to washing dishes. He could hardly stand the music, but if it helped Ty clean, and made him feel better, he'd endure it . for now.  
  
By 10:00 p.m. the kitchen was spotless, as was the living room. Trina's room, while not perfect, had all of the clothes off the floor and her bed made. Ty's room was another story. It would take a miracle to clean it in one day! But they had made a dent on it as well.  
  
At Ty's request, Tony read a book to him as he lay in bed. Then, after hugging Tony good night, he turned over and went to sleep. He looked like a painting lying there in the glow of the lamp, and Tony tried to capture that image in his head. That would be his next painting.  
  
At a few minutes after midnight, Trina unlocked the door and came in. She stopped inside the door, and then checked the number on the apartment door again. Tony smiled at her and said, "Yes, it's your home! Ty helped do this for you."  
  
She was almost crying - it had been so long since anyone had done something for her. She had been giving and giving . she wasn't sure how to receive from anyone. She looked at Tony and mouthed the words "Thank you" through her tears.  
  
Crossing the clean living room, she sat on the opposite end of the sofa from Tony. He wasn't sure how to begin the conversation, but he didn't have to. She started it right away. "Tony, seeing your family emblem today really blew me away. This might be hard for you to believe, but I think we're related."  
  
Pretending not to know, he said, "Really? Why do you say that?"  
  
She reached into her oversize purse and pulled out what Tony knew to be a star case. She showed it to him, and let him see the shimmering double- star emblem on the top of the case. Then she handed it to him. Tony turned it over in his hands, feeling the smoothness and the embossed image. He secretly pushed at the edge of the plate that would reveal the map inside - it didn't move, so he knew that she hadn't found the map yet. He said, "Where did you get this?"  
  
"What I'm going to tell you, I have never told anyone. There hasn't been anyone to tell. I want to let Ty in on it when he's older, but for now, this is only for you. OK?"  
  
Tony nodded, and she continued. "I was raised in an orphanage. I didn't know who my parents were. The director of the orphanage told me, when I was old enough to understand, that someone just dropped me off there when I was a baby. No one remembers who left me. All I had in my possession was a blanket and that case.  
  
"I did well in school, but wasn't a wonderful student. Didn't even consider college - just figured I'd work once I got out of school. But then I met Robert, a wonderful guy about my age. He was from North Carolina, and had moved to New York to go to college. He was 21, I was 19, and we really hit it off. He was brilliant, and didn't seem to mind that I wasn't. He also accepted me even though I had been raised in an orphanage and had no family history.  
  
"One day Robert's uncle came to visit us. He was a grumpy old man, at least that's what Robert always said, but I could see some kindness in his uncle's eyes. I had that case on a shelf in the apartment that Robert lived in. We were old fashioned, and we weren't going to live together until after we got married, but we were setting up the apartment beforehand. So I had arranged a few of my things in the apartment - some souveneirs, a few knickknacks, and the case.  
  
"Anyway, the case is lying there, and Robert's uncle happened to see it as he was looking around. He was frowning at everything, but when he saw the case, he stopped. I could see his face, and his expression became, well, I don't know. Far away, I guess. He picked it up and said, 'Trina, is this yours?' I remember, when his uncle said that, how surprised Robert looked - he had never known his uncle to speak softly or gently. I was a little afraid to answer, but I said, 'Yes, it is.'  
  
"And he said, 'Where did you get it?' I told him my story, and he said, 'Before you two get married, you and I have to talk. I think I can help you find your family.' I was just shocked - no one had ever had a clue who my family was. I almost cried, and I said, 'Please, you have to tell me.' He said, 'Not yet. I need to check on something first. Believe me, I must. I wouldn't want to mislead you.'"  
  
Trina stopped talking. Tears were rolling down her cheeks. Tony waited, and then gently asked, "Did you get to talk?" She shook her head, and then dug in her purse for a tissue to dry her eyes.  
  
Tony was frustrated, afraid they had hit a brick wall. Maybe this wasn't going to go anywhere after all. He decided to give Trina time to compose herself - he still wanted to hear her out.  
  
After a few minutes, she continued. "Robert's uncle had a heart attack two days later. He died instantly. And I never got to find out what he knew. No one else in the family knew what he was talking about. His secret died with him. And so did my past. Unless . unless you can shed some light on this, Tony."  
  
Tony looked at her and said, "I might be able to, Trina. But I need to ask you about Robert's uncle first. I'm curious what made him recognize something about your family when he saw this case. What was his name?"  
  
"Jason. His name was Jason O'Day." 


	16. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 16  
  
Tia had never been overly concerned with the way she looked. She had been told by boys that she was pretty, but had been such an outdoorsy type of person that she didn't ever try to look different than she was. It didn't bother her animal friends if her hair was unruly or her clothes didn't match, so why should it bother her?  
  
Working in Washington, she had to look the part of a professional. Other Homedwellers who knew more about this than she did had picked out her wardrobe, and she found it was perfect. The clothes were nice, yet comfortable, and she always projected the image of a senator's assistant when she wore them.  
  
However, nothing had prepared her for the way she would feel getting ready for her first date. What should she wear? Obviously pants were out - this had to be a dress. And not just any dress . a dress nice enough to not only please Eric, but also be appropriate for the President and his wife.  
  
She did something she thought she would never do. She took the credit card that the Homedwellers had gotten for her, and went to an exclusive clothing store. She had heard other ladies she worked with talk about the wonderful clothing there and the assistance you received from those who worked there. She had always, when she heard this, smiled inwardly as she thought, "Boy, these humans really like to dress up. Who needs a store like that? It just caters to vanity."  
  
But now she was going there herself! Twice she almost decided against it, but thinking of Eric, and then the President, she kept on going. She didn't even know what to ask for, but the capable employees at the store understood her dilemma, and helped her choose the right thing for the evening out. Tia ended up paying more for one outfit than she normally would have spent on clothing in a year. But this was worth it.  
  
Excitement and guilt mixed in her heart as she got ready for the date. She couldn't help but be excited about a real date with Eric - she wouldn't have to take any notes or be anyone's assistant. She could actually be Tia! But then she felt guilty. What would the other Homedwellers say about her dating a human, especially one that might end up trying to find out the secrets of her people?  
  
The dichotomy was driving her mad, so she finally had a talk with herself. Tia had always been able to focus on the task at hand, no matter what other distractions there were. So she decided that, as Eric said, they would talk about their relationship afterward. But for now, she was simply going to enjoy herself.  
  
At 6:30 sharp a long black limo pulled up in front of her apartment building. Eric stepped out of the back of it, looking dashing in a tuxedo. He told the driver to get back into the car because he wanted to hold the door open for Tia. She actually blushed, and held out her hand to take his outstretched hand. He steadied her as she got into the car, and said, "Tia, you look beautiful!"  
  
Twenty minutes later they were at the White House. Security was amazingly tight, but their credentials were in order, and they were expected. Tia tried to calm the butterflies in her stomach as she walked into the White House . and not as a tourist, but as a guest!  
  
The evening went perfectly. Eric was so charming, and she mostly listened to him and the President talk. Eric was so passionate about the issues he believed in, and his whole heart's desire was to improve the lives of the people that lived in his home state. She saw his face light up as he talked to the President about his dreams. He also saw him give the President his undivided attention - when he listened to someone, he did it with his whole being.  
  
After the dinner was over, Tia was somewhat relieved. She was afraid that the President or his wife might ask her a lot of questions about her background and where she grew up. She knew what to answer, but didn't really like the idea of lying to them. But the conversation had been carried by the President and Eric, and Tia got to simply observe.  
  
As they rode away from the White House in the limo, Tia wasn't sure what to say. They talked in general terms about the evening and how well it went. Eric was especially excited that the President seemed to agree with what he was saying. Then, after a short lull in the conversation, Eric said, "So, Tia . do we need to talk?"  
  
Tia remembered his comment in the office that, if she still liked him after the date, they should talk about their relationship, and if she didn't, then they wouldn't need to talk. Assuming he was referring to that, she said, "We need to talk more than ever!" He smiled, took her hand, and kissed it gently.  
  
Tia's emotions went haywire again. She had never been overtly objective in her life, but this was ridiculous! She couldn't even think straight! She finally was able to say, "I guess the bottom line is this: is it allowed for a senator to date his assistant?"  
  
He smiled at her and said, "That is left up to the senator and his assistant. I believe the senator in this case votes in favor of that motion. How does the assistant vote?"  
  
Tia, her voice thick with emotion, moved closer to Eric and said, "Aye."  
  
As he leaned in to kiss her, he whispered, "The vote is two to zero. The motion carries." And they kissed. 


	17. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 17  
  
Tony had to work hard to keep from crying. This whole thing was almost too much. He said, his voice shaky, "Trina, I have to tell you my story. No matter how bizarre it gets, please listen to the end, OK?"  
  
Trina looked at him as if she trusted him and said, "OK."  
  
Tony began to tell her about how he and his sister found themselves in an orphanage after their foster parents died. They had never known their real parents, and now they were really orphans. Without giving too many details of their "special" abilities away, he told them about how they first met Lucas Deranian, and then Mr. Bolt. He said that Mr. Bolt wanted to keep them because they were "special" kids and had certain abilities. He didn't add more than that.  
  
Then he told about running away and being chased. He said his sister had a case like Trina's, and that they called it a star case. He told about finding a map hidden inside that led them toward Stony Creek, Misty Valley, and eventually to Witch Mountain.  
  
He talked about a kind stranger that helped them. He was a loner, but believed their story and took great risks to help them get to the location on the map. As they approached Witch Mountain, the whole story came together. The mystery of their people became clear.  
  
Tony paused. The next part was so fantastic, so much beyond most people's belief, that he was afraid to say it. But he had to.  
  
"Trina, when we got to the mountain, a man came out of the trees. We recognized him - he was our uncle. We thought he had died, but found out he was unharmed. He took us back through the clump of trees with him, but the kind man who helped us waited by the road with those who were chasing us.  
  
We were shocked, when we made it through the trees, to find an actual spaceship there! It was about 50 feet across, and had enough room inside for 20 or 30 people. But it was just the three of us. Trina, we discovered that we were actually from another planet. It once orbited a double star, two suns, and was heading toward one of the stars. Our people had to find a place to settle, and earth was it. But not all of the spaceships - or lifeboats, as we call them - made it. Some crashed. My sister and I survived a crash on one. You survived on another.  
  
"And Trina - there's one more thing you have to know. The kind stranger who helped us so much . who saved our lives . his name was Jason O'Day."  
  
At that, Trina gasped. Then she started to cry. It wasn't just tears rolling down her face - her body shook with her sobs. Tony guessed that it was years of not knowing, years of wondering, things she had suppressed for so long, now coming to the surface. He didn't know if touching her would send the wrong signal, but he didn't care. He moved closer to her, put his arm around her shoulder, and let her cry.  
  
Time passed. Neither seemed to be in a hurry. This moment was too important - too life-changing - to make it move any faster. Tony didn't know how long she cried, but he didn't care. She needed to do this, and probably couldn't do it if Ty was around.  
  
As she finally calmed down, he said, "I know this is all a lot of information. Do you have any questions for me?"  
  
She almost laughed and said, "Oh yeah! But it would take you days to answer them all! There are two things I want to know right now. First, where are we from? And second, what are these 'special' abilities you were talking about?"  
  
Tony dove right in. "The place we're from has a name in an alien language that I never learned. The closest word for it in English is 'Home.' So we say that we are from Home, we call ourselves Homedwellers, and our new settlement is now called New Home.  
  
"As for the abilities, they really vary. My sister Tia can communicate with animals, unlock locked doors, levitate things, sense when people are telling the truth, know if something is going to happen, and other things. I can only do some of those - I can levitate things, or even move them, and all of us can communicate with each other silently. Some call it telepathy, some say it's an ultrasonic speech - whatever it is, it's pretty handy. Here, let me try something. Watch my face."  
  
She watched him. He didn't move his lips, but used his silent voice and said, "Can you hear this?" Her eyes got wide, and she said out loud, "Are you a ventriloquist? How did you do that?"  
  
He laughed and said inaudibly, "It's not a trick. You can hear me because we are from the same place. Try to reply without using your voice. Just aim what you want to say at me, but don't open your mouth."  
  
She shook her head, but tried to concentrate. Her eyes were closed, and her lips shut tight, and Tony heard her say, "Like . this?" Her eyes flew open to look at him, and he grinned. He replied "Like that!" And they both laughed.  
  
Suddenly they heard Ty call from the bedroom, "Why are you guys talking so loud? I'm trying to sleep!" Trina and Tony looked at each other, and his eyebrows arched. Ty had heard them? 


	18. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 18  
  
In love! Tia was in love! For the first time in her life, she understood all of the things she had heard about romance, all the stuff she had seen on TV and in movies. It all made much more sense now!  
  
The difference was, if she were a teenager in love, it would be all emotion. While she couldn't deny that being with Eric was always emotional, being an adult made her use her intellect as well. And try as she might, she couldn't shake the fact that she was acting two-faced. Tia, a Homedweller, was in love with a human. Tia, on assignment, was dating a potential "enemy." What was she doing?  
  
After the weekend, which she chose to enjoy by going to the park and chatting with the squirrels and birds, she went back to work with apprehension. Eric, however, was all business. He didn't hug her or try to kiss her - he greeted her just as he had done every other day she had been there. That actually helped her feel at ease . at least she knew how to act now. She wouldn't change her routine or work habits at all.  
  
There was a message on her desk from Kurt. He insisted on being called Kurt, but whenever he left her a note or wrote her an email, he always signed it "Dazz." This one was the same, but the tone was different. "Urgent that we talk as soon as I get there. In private. Dazz."  
  
Tia usually arrived at the office at 8:30, and Kurt got there between 9:00 and 10:00. She busied herself with correspondence - answering requests for Eric to speak, scheduling his appointments, returning calls, etc. At 9:45 Kurt came into the main office, and instead of going to his desk, he went straight to Tia's office, walked in, and closed the door.  
  
Startled by his abrupt entrance, Tia stopped typing the email she was working on and gave him her full attention. "Kurt, what's wrong? I've never seen you like this before!"  
  
Kurt, frowning, answered, "I've never felt like this before! The last time I felt anywhere near this upset about something was when we were in the plutonium plant trying to run from that wicked Letha woman and you were trying to save Tony. And Tia . this is just about as bad."  
  
She was silent, so he continued. "I've been checking out this group you asked me about - the AAAI. I went to their website and got the standard rhetoric about wanting to protect the earth. They had some general information about their group and some links to news articles, most of them from obscure magazines written by people probably so far into drugs that they could easily think they themselves were aliens!  
  
"So I decided to dig a little deeper. I called up an old friend of mine - Marty Smith. You might remember him as Muscles from the Earthquake Gang. He is now a programmer and one of the smartest guys I've ever known when it comes to the internet. I told him that I had met up with you again, and he was so excited. He has never forgotten about you and Tony - he's never told anyone, but he has never forgotten. Personally, I think he still has a serious crush on you!"  
  
He chuckled, and then continued. "I told him that you were possibly in danger, and that I was using the internet to find out if you were. I didn't tell him your job or anything about what you're doing, just that you might be in danger. I did tell him about the AAAI and about them looking for you and Tony's people. And I told him that I wanted to hack into their website to see if they had any files hidden there. I do know enough about websites to know that sometimes what you see on the web only scratches the surface - a website can have many pages in development or on the organization's computer, but they only publish to the web the ones they want you to see.  
  
"Well, Marty went one step further. He said he knew how to hack into their entire database! That blew me away, but since we both felt it was justified because of the potential danger, he did it. He was actually able to download, copy, and send to me dozens of files and articles that this group has but don't want anyone to know.  
  
"And here's the bottom line, Tia. No one is supposed to know this, but the group was started back in the early 1980's by a scientist who had spent some time in jail for trespassing on government property. Once he got out, he immediately began to gather people around him who were concerned about an alien threat and wanted to protect the earth. The problem is that, in his own writings, he revealed that what he really wanted to do was to find these aliens and harness their abilities.  
  
"Tia, the man behind the AAAI is Dr. Victor Gannon!" 


	19. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 19  
  
Concerned that Ty might be able to hear them communicate otherwise, Tony whispered audibly, "Let's talk this way so we can whisper." It was funny to think that, after years of communicating inaudibly, he had never found out how to whisper that way! So he and Trina would communicate as humans do for a while.  
  
Tony said, "Trina, we need to find out what other abilities you have. But most importantly, we need to get you to New Home. You don't have to live there permanently if you don't wish, but you might want to! For one thing, you wouldn't have to have a job. We grow most of what we eat, and others provide us with earth delicacies that we can't grow. We help each other build dwellings, so you could have your own home there with Ty, all you want to eat, and never have to have a 'job' again.  
  
"It would also be much safer to experiment with you abilities there, and probably that would be the best place to tell Ty what's up. In my experience, it's hard for 11-year-old kids to keep secrets. I remember when Tia and I were about that age, we didn't tell people what we could do, but we sure used our abilities anytime we needed to . and it usually got us in trouble. I wouldn't want to put Ty in the position of knowing something, or even being able to do something, and him not being allowed to share that with anyone. What do you think?"  
  
Trina looked pensive. "Tony, if I quit both of my jobs - and I have to tell you, I wouldn't mind - what would I do if I ended up not liking New Home? Where would I find work again?"  
  
Tony smiled as he said, "Don't worry. There are many small towns around our area, and you're a hard worker - it shouldn't be too difficult to find a job. Also, there are Homedwellers everywhere, kinda living undercover, and they could arrange for a job and place to live for you if you should choose that. Trina, I know this is hard to believe, but . you have a place you belong now. You're not alone. You have family now, and we take care of our own."  
  
She looked almost overwhelmed. Tony remembered the feeling when he first saw Uncle Bené - after feeling like such a misfit, and not belonging anywhere, to realize that he had a family, someone to take care of him . well, he almost couldn't handle the sheer relief he felt. He imagined Trina felt the same way.  
  
When she spoke, it was almost in a whisper, as if she was afraid that talking too loudly might wake her up from this dream. "I need to tell Ty that we are leaving here. I don't think he'll be too disappointed - he's never liked the school here, and he doesn't have any real friends. But he needs to know. And tomorrow I will give my two-week notice to both of my jobs. The apartment here I can leave anytime, since I'm on a month-to- month lease.  
  
"But Tony, do we need to pack anything? Do we just leave it here, sell it . what?"  
  
Tony frowned, not really having thought about that. "Well, the first priority is to get the two of you to New Home. So, let's not worry about that. Don't cancel your lease yet; leave everything here, and go on a 'vacation' to New Home. If you decide to stay there, then we can come back and clean out the place and end the lease. We could also move it into my apartment, since I don't live that far away. But for now, I only want to concentrate on getting you two to your new family. We can decide the rest after that."  
  
She nodded. Then Tony added, "And you probably should get some sleep. It's been a big day, but we both still have things to do tomorrow. I want to be fresh and ready for Ty when he shows up tomorrow!"  
  
Trina laughed. "Boy, do I know what you mean! He is a great kid, but he can sure take a lot of energy just keeping up with him! You're right, Tony. I'm ready to sleep . although part of me thinks I'll be awake all night just digesting this new information. And Tony - thank you so much! I am so glad you met Ty and that you befriended him! If you hadn't, I would never have known what I now know. I wish I could thank you properly."  
  
Tony just smiled. He said, "Trina, when I see the two of you arrive at New Home, and watch your faces as you just feel the place, that will be all the thanks I need!"  
  
He got up to leave, and she saw him to the door. As he opened it to leave, she impulsively hugged him. He hugged her back, but was a little surprised. She saw that on his face as they ended the hug, and she said, "I'm sorry, but I haven't had any family to hug, except for Ty, for over five years now. Since you're family . get used to it! I'm a hugger!"  
  
Tony laughed and said, "You are definitely one of us! We always show affection. Boy, I think you'll really like New Home! Good night, Trina."  
  
"Good night, Tony." He walked out the door and down the hall, and she closed the door behind him.  
  
Just as he was leaving the front door of the apartment, he heard Trina's voice in his head. "Thanks again, Tony. Take care." He smiled and answered back, "My pleasure. You take care as well."  
  
As he walked down the sidewalk, he heard another voice in his head. "Tony, am I dreaming, or are you talking to me in my sleep? It feels like a dream, but it seems so real! What's going on?"  
  
Tony stopped in his tracks at the sound of Ty's silent voice. They might not be able to wait two weeks to explain everything to Ty. Tony answered back, "Ty, it's like a dream, but it is real. Go to sleep, and I'll tell you tomorrow."  
  
He kept his senses on full alert, as tired as he was, because he knew that walking down New York City streets at 2:00 in the morning was not the safest thing to do. He had already learned that lesson his first hour here. As he neared his apartment building, he began to sense danger - so much so that it was like alarms going off in his head.  
  
Confused, he looked around as he opened the apartment building's door. He didn't want to look like he was observing, but he wanted to see where the danger was coming from. Across the street, a car was parked. It was a simple black sedan, which was nothing unusual. Then Tony realized that the driver of the car was looking at him. The alarms intensified.  
  
Tony stepped inside the door, and then peeked out the dirty glass in the door. It was dark inside the entrance of his building, so the person in the car wouldn't be able to see him . he hoped. He studied the car and the driver, and realized that there was a video camera pointed toward him. He noticed another in the back of the car, pointed up toward the window of his apartment!  
  
Wishing he could sense humans and their thoughts as well as Tia, he tried to think of what to do. He remembered that, on the ground floor, there was a cat named Whiskers. He had petted the cat on many occasions, and even made conversation with it a few times. He remembered that Whiskers was amazed that any human could communicate with him! Of course, Tony wasn't any human . he wasn't human at all.  
  
Tony sent out a message to Whiskers that he needed his help. Just a moment later, he heard the cat door open that Whiskers used to get in and out of his owner's apartment, and he heard soft purring. When Whiskers got near the door, Tony said, "Whiskers, across the street is a car. Do you see that one over there?"  
  
When Whiskers said that he did, Tony explained that he wanted him to go over across the street, and quietly jump up onto the back of the car. Then he should tell Tony what he saw inside the car. Tony would let him know what to do then.  
  
The cat seemed glad to have something to do besides sit in his owner's apartment all night. Cats are nocturnal, and this was something fun for Whiskers to do. He jumped through the open window, walked nonchalantly across the street, and started walking around the mysterious car.  
  
Tony could hear him from across the street in their strange, silent language. "Tony, there is one man in the front seat of the car. I can smell on him that he owns a dog - I don't think he has any cats! That means he's probably not trustworthy." That comment made Tony smile. He always liked getting an animal's perspective - it was so much different than a person's.  
  
Then Tony saw Whiskers jump onto the back of the car. "There are some cameras here, and some TV screens too. One screen shows the front of the apartment building - I can't see you on it, but I know you are inside the door. Another shows your apartment! I remember what it looked like when I was last there. And Tony . your radio must be on, because I can see it on the TV and I can hear it as well. This man, with his machines, can see and hear what is happening in your apartment!" 


	20. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 20  
  
It's funny how something from your past can pop up again, and even though it's been years, you feel the same way you felt long ago. It's almost like the experience is brand new again.  
  
That's how it was for Tia when she heard Dr. Gannon's name. The source of their trouble now was the same source of all the problems they experienced the last time she and Tony were among humans! She didn't know what to say . she just sat there open-mouthed as Kurt continued.  
  
"The documents that Marty downloaded - which I now have on my computer and can show you - paint a picture of the AAAI as being nationwide. The vice- president of the organization is actually from North Carolina. His name is Travis Pluck, and he claims in one of the documents that he encountered an alien in the form of a human, and that the alien actually attacked him.  
  
"Even worse, Dr. Gannon's writings name you and Tony. He doesn't have a last name for you, of course. And he believes that you two were aliens who simply adopted the form of humans. Some of his musings are pretty bizarre - he thinks you have transparent skin and green blood, and that you actually read the minds of all creatures. I don't know where he gets this stuff - I think he went off the deep end while in jail.  
  
"I tell you, my blood ran cold when I saw his name. I wondered if Letha and her nephew - I think his name was Sickle - were involved, but Marty did some checking on a crime database. Dr. Gannon only got nailed for trespassing. I think he must have had a pretty sharp lawyer, because he certainly tried more than that. But Letha and Sickle actually attempted to steal that gold, remember? Dr. Gannon testified against them, and they went to prison for a long time. Letha died in prison - Sickle is unaccounted for. Dr. Gannon is still alive, but he's pushing 90, so I don't know how much longer he will actually lead the group.  
  
"Marty also found that they have been collecting news clippings from different areas, mostly North Carolina, of UFO's seen, crashes reported, people found who didn't speak any known language, reports of activity on a place called Witch Mountain. They're really focused on that place - many of their documents were photos taken from the air or by satellite. They're not close-ups, and they're not very clear, but they have them.  
  
"My concern now, Tia, is first of all, what do you tell Eric? How much of this can you report? And secondly, how do we stop Dr. Gannon and his followers from finding your people?"  
  
Tia had been listening, but also thinking fast and hard. She was trying to suppress the gnawing fear that was raging inside of her. Being here with Kurt, hearing Dr. Gannon's name again, brought back the same fear, despair, and uncertainty she had felt when Tony first disappeared that day in California. She had to get past that to find some answers.  
  
"I'm not sure. First of all, thank you, Kurt. You went above and beyond what you were asked, and you did it out of friendship, and I appreciate that so much. I'm going to talk with Tony and with some of my people tonight and find out what they think. My report will be based on that, as well as my decision on what we should do about the threat."  
  
Kurt nodded, and got up to leave. "I'm going to have Marty keep on monitoring their systems - he said he can be alerted if they add or edit any of their documents. I don't know how he does it, but at this point I don't care! I'll keep you up-to-date."  
  
Tia smiled. "Thanks, Kurt. I couldn't have done this without you!" He smiled back, and then opened the door and left.  
  
Eric was going to be on the Senate floor most of the day, and if he needed her he would call. She decided to work on the report for Eric. She knew for sure that what the AAAI was asking for was not only dangerous for the Homedwellers, she believed that it would simply be bad for everyone. Dr. Gannon had never had a desire to help humanity, and if he was involved in this, then that meant this would only serve his purposes, and he wouldn't care who got hurt.  
  
As Tia began assembling the pieces of the report - the history of the AAAI, the news clippings of supposed UFO sightings about the time her people were arriving, and other material Eric had suggested - she did her best to paint it in a negative light. She realized that she was walking a fine line and could be accused of editorializing the material, and if Eric thought that, she might be in trouble. But she couldn't simply leave it up to Eric- this was a bad idea, and she wanted to convey that.  
  
And it wasn't too difficult. For almost every sighting of a UFO in the 1960s she was able to find top-secret Air Force documents about tests the government conducted around that time in that approximate area. It was enough to cast doubt on the sightings, at the very least. Regarding the AAAI, she was able to include some very radical quotes from their material (some of it on the website and some of it . well, not readily available, but in her hands thanks to Marty).  
  
She was still mulling it over, trying to make a cohesive report from the mountains of data she had collected, when she felt Eric's presence. It caught her off guard - she could usually sense that someone was approaching, but it was rare that she would know who it was. She looked up, and sure enough, he was standing there in her doorway, smiling at her. She smiled back, somewhat self-consciously, and said, "Hi. Taking a break?"  
  
He walked toward her, shutting her office door. As he leaned toward her, he said, "Yes, I'm taking a break . something that you never seem to do!" She laughed as she avoided his kiss and said, "Well, you see, I have this boss who's a real taskmaster! If I slack off for even one second, he lets me know about it! So I'm afraid I'm too busy to kiss you right now!" And she turned back toward her computer.  
  
Eric stood up, walked back toward the door to see if she would stop him, and then said, "Fine! I'm going to go have it out with your boss, and by the time I finish with him, he'll let you do anything you jolly well want to!" And he strode out the door.  
  
Tia turned around, not sure what to expect. She was teasing Eric, but she didn't think he would just leave. Did he take the joke wrong? She really didn't mind kissing him! Suddenly the black phone on her desk rang, and she picked it up. "Yes?"  
  
He almost barked into the phone, "Get into my office now!" and hung up.  
  
Now Tia was really perplexed . even nervous. She grabbed the notepad that she always had ready and went next door. She walked in, shutting the door, and sat across from him. He looked stern.  
  
He said, "Tia, I just spoke with your boyfriend, and he seems to think that I treat you way too harshly! In my opinion he's just a romantic wimp, but, I value your work here, and I don't want anyone to think I'm unfair, so here's what I'm proposing.  
  
"When you are in here, I am your boss, and I expect you to do what I say and work hard."  
  
Then he abruptly got up, walked around his desk, lightly grabbed Tia by the arm, led her out the door, into her office, and shut her door. Then he said, "But when we're in here, I'm your boyfriend and you're in charge! If you don't want to work . don't! But you better work when you're in your boss' office, because he's definitely a workaholic!"  
  
They both laughed as they embraced. For a moment they just held each other, then, as they stared into each other's eyes, they kissed.  
  
It was sweet, romantic, loving . and Tia just couldn't enjoy it. There on her computer was the beginning of the report Eric wanted. He could joke about being boss and boyfriend, but would he joke when he learned she was from "outer space"? Would he give in to the AAAI or see her side?  
  
Eric suddenly broke the kiss. He stepped back, and Tia looked bewildered. He looked confused as well, and said, "Tia, what's happening?"  
  
She looked at him, confusion showing on her face, and said, "What do you mean? We were kissing - that's what was happening!"  
  
He didn't smile. He said, "No, Tia. This was different. I've always been fairly perceptive, able to read people, kinda know what they were thinking or how they felt. But this was different. I really read you, Tia. I heard you, but I didn't hear you. You're scared. Something about the report I want you to write is bothering you, and it's so upsetting that you can't relax around me. You . you think I won't like you after I read the report! I won't accept you or love you. Tia, how could you think that?"  
  
Tia was in shock. It was one of those moments when something clicks, when you know you're in the right place at the right time. Something began to dawn on her, and she had to find out . now.  
  
"Eric, I need to ask you something. Please don't be offended, but I must ask you. Who are your parents . your real parents?"  
  
He looked sad for a moment, then straightened and said, "I don't know. I've never known. I was raised by foster parents. I was told I was abandoned by my real parents, but I truly don't know. Why?"  
  
As Tia tried to decide how to tell him what she suspected, she realized there was no way to do it without him thinking she was just plain crazy. She tried to speak, but didn't know how to start. Suddenly he spoke. "No! You really think that I am related to you? That just because you and your brother were raised by foster parents and found your people later, that I must be one of you, too?"  
  
He stopped. "Tia . how did I know you were thinking that? You didn't say anything? .Tia, what's wrong with me? I am usually decisive and in charge - and now I feel like a lost little boy. I feel like I'm completely losing it! Do you know what's happening?"  
  
Tia spoke without using her voice - her lips remained closed. "Eric, if you can hear me, then I can tell you exactly what is going on."  
  
He looked like he had seen a ghost. "I can hear you," he answered back, also without moving his lips. "How?"  
  
She smiled and stepped closer to him. She grabbed his arms and said, silently, "I'll explain everything. Just be patient. And . Welcome Home, Eric!" 


	21. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 21  
  
Morning dawned for Tony, and he reluctantly rolled out of bed. He hated knowing that someone was watching his every move in his apartment, but for the moment, he wasn't sure what to do about it. He could easily have disabled the man's car or his recording equipment that Whiskers had spotted the night before - actually only a few hours ago - but if this person was really watching Tony, then that meant he suspected something about Tony, and destroying his equipment would probably only confirm the mysterious man's suspicions.  
  
Tony had recorded mentally the license number of the vehicle. He was going to have someone at New Home check it out for him when he had the chance to contact them without being seen. He slowly got up, got dressed, and ate breakfast, trying to look like a normal human in New York City, and also trying not to look toward or out of the window where he knew the camera was located.  
  
Before walking out the door, he decided to try signaling Whiskers to check if the car was there. Whiskers didn't answer his call, but Lady, a beautiful Golden Retriever that lived on his floor heard him. He described the car to her, and she walked over to her window, which was down the hall from Tony's. She said, "Tony, there are no cars down there at all. In fact, every morning they make all the cars move and not park there."  
  
Tony realized she was right - parking was allowed only in the evening and overnight. He walked nonchalantly toward the window and looked down. No car. He allowed himself to look around, trying to see if a camera might be hidden outside his window attached to the building, or across the street. Nothing caught his eye.  
  
Still feeling uneasy, but not wanting to miss Ty, he headed out. He arrived at his normal place a few minutes later, and Ty was running down the street toward him. He was calling, "Tony! Tony! You'll never guess what happened!"  
  
Seeing Ty always made Tony smile, even when he was as tired as he was this morning, and he said, "What? What happened?"  
  
Ty stopped in front of him and said, "Well, first of all, I had the weirdest dream! You and my mom were both in my head, talking to each other, then to me. Then, later on, I dreamed that my mom was magic. And I figured if she was magic, then so was I. In my dream, I sat on my bed and made my room clean itself - everything just put itself away. And Tony . guess what!!! When I woke up this morning, my room was clean, just like in my dream!"  
  
If Tony looked shocked, it's because he was. He knew exactly what Ty was talking about, but wasn't sure if there was anything he should do about it. Then Ty said, "So this morning, I tried something else, and it worked! Watch."  
  
Ty closed his eyes tightly, and suddenly started rising into the air! Almost immediately he was eye-to-eye with Tony, and Tony quickly grabbed his shoulders and pushed him toward the ground. Ty's eyes flew open and he yelled, "Hey! Why are you doing that? Tony . I can fly!"  
  
Maybe it was the serious expression on Tony's face that made him quiet down, but he did, and let himself return to the ground. He whispered, "Ty, you've got to trust me. I was going to tell you this later, but I'll tell you part of it now. Last night your mom and I found out that we are from the same family! You and I are related!"  
  
Ty was beaming now with excitement. Tony continued, "And, all the people in our family can do cool things like talk to each other without using our mouths, make rooms clean themselves, and even fly! The problem is that there are some bad people out there that know about us, and want to make us do things for them. So we can NEVER let on that we can do these things. Floating out here on the street is just not a good idea! In fact, last night I even found someone spying on me while I was in my apartment!  
  
"We have got to be careful, Ty. I'll tell you more later, when we're alone at your house, but for right now we're just Tony and Ty and we're going to work like we do every day, OK?"  
  
Ty looked sober and thoughtful. He nodded. Then he spoke, but not audibly - "Sure thing, Tony. I'm just glad to know that we're related!" And he smiled again, which made Tony smile as well.  
  
Suddenly Ty looked behind him, then all around. He looked at Tony and said silently, "Tony, do people in our family ever get feelings about something, like when something bad is going to happen?"  
  
Tony was again blown away. He was beginning to suspect that Ty, who had a Homedweller for a mother and human for a father, might have powers greater than any Homedweller. He had always assumed that if a child was born from such a union, the child would be more human than Homedweller - now he was thinking he might have been wrong.  
  
"Yes, Ty . some of us do. I'm not as good at it as others. Why? Do you feel like something bad is going to happen?"  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, I do. Hang on." And he closed his eyes tightly, trying to focus. Tony smiled - he remembered Tia doing that as a little girl, closing her eyes tightly, wrinkling up her face, and putting her fingers on the side of her head. Ty looked just like her.  
  
Ty opened his eyes abruptly and said, "Tony, over there in that eating- place. Someone bad is there, and he wants to hurt us. Especially you."  
  
Tony fought the urge to look, and instead said silently, "Ty, set up my paintings. I'm going to set up my easel and paint a picture of the café today, OK?" And he winked at Ty.  
  
Ty immediately got to work, and so did Tony. As soon as he had the easel set up, he began painting the outline of the corner café across the street. As he did, he was able to stare at the café, and try to see anyone inside of it. He noticed the outline of a man sitting at the window nearest his stand. When he saw the man a little more clearly, a double alarm went off in his head.  
  
Tony realized that, not only was that the man who was in the car last night, it was also the red haired man who had acted so strangely a few days before. Tony knew he needed to be careful - something big was happening, but he didn't know what.  
  
After about an hour of painting the man was still in the café, watching but trying to act like he wasn't watching Tony and Ty. Tony decided to try a little recognizance. He called Ty over audibly and said, "Ty, I think that man over there is the one who was watching me last night. If so, he has a black car around here somewhere. Here is the license plate number - I wrote it on one of my cards. I want you to carefully walk around the block. Do not look into the café or try to see the man . do you understand?" Ty nodded, so Tony went on. "Just make one pass around the block, looking for a black car with that number on the tag. That's all."  
  
As Ty turned to leave, Tony spoke to him mentally. "Ty, let's keep in touch like this. Keep on communicating with me without using your voice the whole time you're gone. Let me know what you find out."  
  
Ty answered back, as he crossed the street, "No problem, Tony. This is better than walkie-talkies!" Tony tried not to be concerned as he watched Ty disappear around the corner past the café. As he kept painting, Tony tried to keep his eye on the mysterious man. He noticed that the man's gaze followed Ty as he passed the café on his trip around the block.  
  
Suddenly the man got up and started to walk toward Ty. Tony's silent voice sounded an alarm as he called out, "Ty, the man is trying to follow you! Do whatever you have to do, but don't let him catch you."  
  
Ty sounded calm as he responded, "I got it covered, Tony. Somehow I thought this might happen - I don't know why - and I have a plan." Tony was anxious since he couldn't see Ty or the man, but he also was strangely calm. He would have to wait and see what Ty had planned.  
  
"Tony, he's following me, but he's doing exactly what I expected. Don't worry about me - just keep watching for him to come back. . Hey Tony! He had a camera on his table, and I think he left it there. Is there any way you can get it?"  
  
Impressed with Ty's presence of mind, Tony looked through the glass of the café. Sure enough, at the man's table was a nice camera - possibly a digital camera. Tony hadn't done this in a while, but he concentrated and watched the camera begin to rise. He had it go as high as the top of the doorway, then, hoping no one would see, he had it ease along the glass until it got to the door. Then Tony nudged the door open with his mind, and the camera flew out and across the street like a bullet.  
  
It landed softly in his hand, and he looked at it. It was a compact digital camera, and it could take video as well as still shots. He walked over and put it in his duffle bag.  
  
He called out silently, "Ty, are you still OK? I've got the camera."  
  
Ty replied almost instantly, "Yeah, I'm great! You should see him coming back any second now. He gave up on me." That statement made Tony really curious, but he saw the man race back into the café. However, there was still no sign of Ty.  
  
"Ty, where are you? He's back . are you sure you're OK?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Tony jumped - that was Ty's audible voice, and it was right behind him! He turned around, and Ty stood there, grinning like he had just played the biggest practical joke of all time. Tony grabbed his shoulders, then pulled him into a hug.  
  
He said, "Ty, where did you come from? What happened?"  
  
Ty was almost giddy with excitement, his young face looking so proud. He switched to his silent voice and said, "Well, I just had this feeling he'd follow me. Then, when you said he was, I just knew what I was supposed to do. Behind the eating-place there's an alley, and I remembered that there is an awning over the back of the place, because that used to be the entrance. So, when I knew he was coming - and I never looked back at him, so I don't think he knew that I knew - I just turned the corner real fast into the alley and just floated up onto the awning and laid down."  
  
Tony arched his eyebrows when he heard that, but he remained silent and let Ty continue.  
  
"What was weird was, not only did I hear him walk past me in the alley, I also could sense when he was gone. I didn't peek out until I was sure he wasn't around. Then, I floated to the top of the café. I just went from building to building, floating between them. When I got to that corner down there." and he pointed to the intersection a block away, "I floated to the ground in the alley, and walked over here. Pretty good, huh?"  
  
Tony mussed his hair and said, "Good?! No! Ty, you're awesome! That was the best spy work I've ever seen!" 


	22. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 22  
  
That night Tony and Tia each sat by their transmitters to communicate with New Home. Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri were in the communication room at New Home so they could transmit their thoughts across the miles to Tony and Tia. They jokingly called it a "conference call," but the conference itself was no joke. They had much to discuss.  
  
For his part, Tony had closed the blinds to all of the windows, but he still sat a distance from the transmitter - now hidden - and acted like he was listening to the radio, just in case anyone was watching him or listening to him. Since his lips wouldn't move while he was "talking," he could carry on with the conversation and no earthly listening device would pick anything up.  
  
Tony went first, filling everyone in on Trina and Ty, and the threat from the mystery man and his surveillance. Everyone was thrilled beyond words to hear about two new Homedwellers, but concerned about this serious new threat. They also marveled at the abilities that Ty, a mixture of Homedweller and human, was showing. Uncle Bené seemed almost more interested in that than in the other matters at hand.  
  
Tia filled in some of the gaps in Tony's information when talking about the AAAI, explaining that Tony's mystery man might be connected to that group, and then suggesting he might be one of the leaders of the group. That last statement came as a result of her intuitiveness and not from any research she had done. Tony didn't discount it - he knew her intuition was always right. If he was facing one of the leaders of the AAAI, then maybe he could help Tia out as well.  
  
One of the hardest things she had to tell Tony was that the AAAI was started by none other than Dr. Gannon. Tony's blood ran cold when he heard that name. He had done a lot of healing in the 25 plus years since his encounter with the wicked scientist, but after watching how the mystery man had gone after Ty, he realized that the doctor must not have changed at all, and any group he started would act just like him. He resolved, in his own mind, that Dr. Gannon and the AAAI must be stopped for good.  
  
Tia also told the group about Eric. She spoke hesitantly when talking about her relationship with him, although everyone knew it had been brewing. Then she told them that she believed he might be a Homedweller, and the questions began to fly! She told them about what had happened that day in her office, and after hearing that, they concluded she was probably right.  
  
The conversation then turned to a plan of action. First of all, what do you do with a Senator - and a popular one at that - who might be a Homedweller? Secondly, who would be able to check on the mystery man's connection with the AAAI and Dr. Gannon? After considerable discussion, it was decided that Tia would tell Eric everything about herself and her people - it was a bold gamble, but it seemed to everyone to be the best way.  
  
It was also decided that Tony would get a small computer - probably a laptop, since they are more portable - to see what pictures and video the camera he "confiscated" contained. That too could provide a clue to the people behind the surveillance.  
  
Once that was done, Tony said that he and Ty would do some checking on the mystery man. He felt they had been on the defensive long enough - now it was time to try the offensive! Uncle Bené cautioned him to do what was necessary, but nothing more. He added, "Tony, I know you better than I know any other Homedweller, and I know all of them very well. I don't believe you would consciously plan revenge, but it is still a temptation. Dr. Gannon has hurt you and would have hurt Tia, and if this person following you is working with him, then he has threatened your young friend as well. No matter how justified it might seem, revenge is not an option. We will never stoop to that level."  
  
In his head he agreed, and he said so, but in his heart he knew he had already resolved that Dr. Gannon would never hurt him or his people again. Whether that was simply protecting his own, or self-defense, or revenge, he would let others decide. He only knew the outcome that he wanted - no more threat . no matter what. 


	23. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 23  
  
Early the next morning, Tia got a call from Eric's receptionist. Eric had called in sick, and he asked the receptionist to let Tia know. She said that Tia could go on in to the office and work on the report, or she could take the day off - it was up to her.  
  
Before hanging up, Tia realized she needed to talk to Eric. It really was urgent. So she asked the receptionist for Eric's home phone number, and got it. She hung up and quickly called Eric's home. His answering machine was all she got, so she left a message asking Eric to call her right away.  
  
He didn't. Her emotions told her he was upset at her after what happened the day before. But her instinct - her gut - told her something was wrong. Eric was running from his past, trying to escape from who he really was and is . he needed her help right away.  
  
She could have looked up his address, but since she didn't drive, she wasn't sure if she'd find it. She knew it had to be close to his office, so she set out walking. Depending partly on her heart, and partly on the link she had established with Eric through their relationship, Tia walked straight toward his house.  
  
In less than 20 minutes, she was there. She suddenly felt very nervous, but was also determined. No matter the outcome of the next hour or so, at least she could be completely honest with Eric. Tia had never liked hiding things, and while she understood the need for deception when on assignment, she was looking forward to clearing the air once and for all.  
  
She could see through the front window that he was on the phone. Ignoring that, she walked up to the front door and rang the bell. She waited a minute, then rang it again . and again. She was determined to have this conversation whether Eric really wanted to or not!  
  
Finally he opened the door a crack. He looked awful - unshaven, hair a mess, dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt, and his eyes were puffy. Tia's heart longed to reach out to this man . she cared for him so much, and he looked like he could really use a friend. She said, "Can I come in?" He didn't reply, just nodded, and opened the door for her.  
  
She walked in, waited for him to close the door, and then walked with him into the large living room. He motioned for the couch, still not speaking, but she shook her head. She stood in front of him, face to face, and said, "Eric, we need to talk. I'd like to find out what's wrong, but if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. No matter what, though, we need to finish yesterday's conversation."  
  
Tia spoke with such strength and conviction - something Eric hadn't seen yet. He seemed stunned, and then sunk down onto the couch and said in a small voice, "I don't know what's wrong. . Our talk yesterday just woke something up inside me. I don't know how else to describe it. I feel . lost . alone . like I don't belong here. I don't want to feel this way, but I can't make it leave."  
  
Suddenly he looked up at her, his eyes questioning. "Why did you say, 'Welcome home'? That's what you said yesterday! Why?"  
  
Tia sat down next to him and took his hand. "I said it because you've been looking for home, and I know where it is. I want to tell you my story - not my edited biography, not my resume, but my real life story. Please listen all the way to the end. Then I'll answer any question you have - and I do mean any question."  
  
Again he remained silent, nodding his assent to what she had said.  
  
Tia dove in. She started at the point where, when living with the Malones, she and Tony realized they were different from the other kids. She talked about being in foster care, about being able to sense things and know things and see things . and move things and lift things.  
  
She talked about her flashbacks into the past, and the wreck at sea. Her voice broke when she talked about Granny Malone dying and going to the orphanage. She described her star case and finding the map.  
  
Taking her time, she told him about Lucas Deranian, Mr. Bolt, Jason O'Day, Witch Mountain, Uncle Bené, and their weekend in California and run-in with Dr. Gannon.  
  
Eric listened numbly, almost in shock. Tia wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she could sure read what he was feeling. He was actually feeling a mixture of confusion and hope.  
  
As she finished her story, including her assignment, she said, "I never meant to lie to you, Eric. But I'm here to find people like you - people that I believe are from my planet. We called our planet Home when it existed. Now we live on New Home. You belong there, Eric. I really believe that, once you visit, you will know - you belong with us."  
  
Eric sounded a little like his old self when he said, "I have four more days of Senate hearings, and then I have a week's vacation. Could you take me to New Home then? I'd love to see if you are right."  
  
Tia smiled and hugged him. She said, silently, "Of course. I'll arrange for the transportation. And between now and then, I can tell you, and show you, more of life on Home." Then, hoping it wouldn't be too much for him to handle, she levitated the Kleenex box to him and it landed on his lap. His eyes got wide, and then he actually laughed.  
  
"Oh wow! How did you do that? Can I do that?" And he started looking around for something to move with his mind.  
  
Tia put her hand up to caution him. "Hold on! Each person from our planet can do different things - some can sense things better, some can communicate with animals better, some can move things around. It will take some time, since you've never used these abilities, but yeah, we'll find out what you can do!"  
  
She looked around and saw a throw pillow lying on a recliner. She said, "Look at that pillow, and concentrate on lifting it. That's all. Just imagine that an unseen arm is extending from you and lifting the pillow."  
  
He knit his brow and concentrated. The pillow seemed to move, but it was still on the recliner. Then they realized that he had actually lifted the front of the recliner off the floor! Tia said, "Not bad - I guess you just have to work on your aim!"  
  
He let the chair go, relaxed, and leaned back against the couch they were sitting on. "Thanks, Tia. You saved me. I felt so lost just a little while ago. Now I know where I'm from, and I have a place to go. I love you so much!"  
  
Tia's mouth fell open, and then she smiled, and her face lit up. "Eric . I love you, too!" And she collapsed into his arms. 


	24. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 24  
  
Tony had spent the day painting, or at least trying to. It was hard to concentrate. He was concerned for Ty, who was with him. He fretted over the mystery man, who again was across the street in the café watching them. And he needed to talk to Trina and wasn't sure when he would be able to.  
  
Just then Ty came over to him and touched his arm. "Tony," he said silently, "don't worry so much!" Tony's eyebrows arched in surprise, and Ty just smiled and went on. "I can tell you're really bugged about what's been happening. But don't worry. It's not just you or just me or just my mom . it's the three of us together. I'd like to see anyone top that!"  
  
Tony laughed out loud, then spoke silently and said, "You're right, Ty. And we will stay together. I never told you, but when I was just a little older than you, an evil man kidnapped me and, well, kinda hypnotized me into doing some things to help him. My sister finally found me, but I never forgot how horrible it felt to be controlled by someone.  
  
"Well, I found out yesterday that the guy across the street who is watching us . he might be working for the guy who kidnapped me. I just couldn't bear to let anything like that happen to you. So please, do me a favor and stay close by. No more heroics for a while, OK?"  
  
Ty hugged Tony and said aloud, "OK. I'd do anything for you, Tony." Then he got quiet, like he was really thinking hard about something. Finally he spoke. "Tony . um, since we are from the same family, well . is it OK if I think of you as my big brother?"  
  
He looked up at Tony with big, trusting eyes. Tony melted. He leaned down to hug him right and said silently, "You bet! You're the best little brother I've ever had!" Ty hugged back, then stopped, pulled back, and said, "Wait! You don't have a little brother do you!?" He said it accusingly, and Tony was glad he got the joke, but he looked at Ty and said seriously, "I do now."  
  
Ty actually blushed, then went back to straightening the paintings.  
  
That afternoon they shut down early, hauled everything to Tony's apartment, and then went to the nearest computer store. Tony knew how much computer - memory and speed - he needed to view what was on the camera he had retrieved from the "enemy." Thirty minutes later, thanks to his Homedweller-set-up credit card, he left with a new laptop under his arm . and an eager younger brother wanting to try it out.  
  
Concerned that his own apartment would be watched, he and Ty took the laptop and the camera to Trina's apartment. Tony set the laptop up in the kitchen/dining room, away from any windows, just in case. Once he got the camera hooked up and got the computer to recognize it, he downloaded what was on the camera.  
  
The pictures were disturbing. There were pictures of Tony at his stand, painting. Some were close-ups he never knew were being taken - apparently the camera had a good telephoto lens. There were pictures of Trina and Ty talking to Tony on the first day he met Ty's mom. The man had taken close- ups of them as well. There was even a photo of Tony's business card.  
  
Tony's blood ran cold, and his stomach actually tightened in fear. Next to his name on the business card, someone - probably the stranger - had written in pencil "Malone?"  
  
Malone! The name he and Tia used when living with their foster parents! How would this person know that used to be his name? Who was this mysterious, seemingly all knowing man?  
  
Next he downloaded the video. Again he was chilled by what he saw. The video was choppy, and you could hear café noises on it, but he saw himself moving about, setting up, painting. He saw Trina and Ty the day that she first met Tony - the man had taken video from across the street, then did close-ups.  
  
The worst part was what was next. There, on the video, was Ty floating, and Tony pulling him down and looking around to make sure no one had seen! Thank the stars he had confiscated this video! With that footage, they would have been found out for sure.  
  
However, he felt very strongly they were in danger right now. Someone knew his name used to be Malone, and knew for a fact that Ty could levitate. That was too much for any one human to know - it was enough to jeopardize them.  
  
The phone in the apartment rang. Ty went to answer it automatically. He looked at Tony and said, "My mom always calls to make sure I'm OK. She didn't know you were coming by probably."  
  
Tony smiled and said, "Good - tell her I need to talk to her."  
  
As soon as he said "Hello," Ty's smile disappeared and he looked panicked. He covered the receiver and said, "Tony, it's some guy. He says he wants to talk to Tony Malone now! Is that you?"  
  
Alarms went off in Tony's head - somehow this caller was related to the man in the car with the surveillance equipment, who was probably the man from the café. If he was calling Trina's, then he somehow knew that Trina and Ty were connected to Tony and his people. They had to get out of there right away.  
  
Tony took the phone, and then said silently to Ty, "Go pack a few clothes into a plastic bag. We're leaving here just to play it safe." Ty nodded and ran to his room. Tony put the phone to his ear and said, "This is Tony."  
  
The voice on the other end of the line could only be described as sinister. It wasn't Dr. Gannon - Tony would have recognized that. This man was younger - it had to be mystery man from the café. He said to Tony, "Malone, I have your girlfriend."  
  
That puzzled Tony, but only for a moment. "She's not my girlfriend, but you better not harm her! Now, who are you, and what do you want?"  
  
Almost on an impulse, he began to send his silent voice over the phone. He had never tried to communicate that way on a regular phone, and didn't know if it would carry through the receiver and into the room the man was in, but it was worth a shot. Still trying to listen to the caller, Tony said silently, "Trina, if you can hear me, somehow let me know! I have Ty and he's safe!"  
  
The caller was talking, apparently unaware of what Tony was doing. He said, "Bring the camera you took, and the boy, to your apartment. If anyone else but you and the boy walk through the door, your girlfriend will die." 


	25. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 25

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 25  
  
Eric's living room was a mess now! But what else could be expected when everything had been moved . and none of it with hands? Tia was having the time of her life watching Eric. He acted just like a little boy on Christmas day - it seemed like everything was new again, and he was playing with it.  
  
After lifting the recliner, he tried again and moved the pillow. He had so much fun watching it fly across the room that he lost his concentration and it fell - right into his aquarium. Fortunately he didn't try to move that, but he did lift it about a foot in the air. Knickknacks, pictures, pillows, and papers had all been moved or rearranged. Then he went on to furniture. If it wasn't nailed down, he tried to move it. That was fine until the heavy wardrobe didn't quite clear the top of the easy chair it was flying over - so it tipped over, in the air, and dumped its contents onto the floor. Eric started laughing so hard when that happened, that the wardrobe ended up landing upside down, leaning against the corner.  
  
For the first time since she had met Eric, Tia was completely relaxed with him. There was no pretending, no hiding anything . she could be herself and just have fun. And she did.  
  
She also had never seen Eric having so much fun. He was giggling, making funny noises as he tried to move heavier items, grimacing in bizarre expressions . and never acted self-conscious at all. That made Tia love him all the more. Any man who could act like a kid and not care what anyone thought was the kind of man she could spend her life with.  
  
For a moment she got a serious expression on her face, as she realized what she had just thought. "Spend the rest of her life with.?" Was she really thinking that? She had never consciously let that be a possibility. Now, suddenly, unexpectedly . it was!  
  
Eric caught her serious expression, and got serious himself. He looked at Tia and said, "Hey . are you OK? What's wrong?"  
  
She looked at him, not sure how much to say, and said, "Eric, everything is perfect. I just realized that I've never felt so relaxed, so comfortable with anyone besides my brother. I could spend all day every day with you and never get tired of it."  
  
Eric's eyebrows arched, and he said, "Ms. Castaway, that sounds like a proposal!" Then he winked.  
  
She rolled her eyes as she laughed, then said, "Oh it does, does it?" Suddenly from nowhere, a pillow slammed into the side of his head. He looked shocked, then realized that she had made it fly toward him!  
  
"Hey! How can you laugh and talk and still make things move? That's not fair!" And he looked around for a pillow to "throw" at her. However, his concentration was broken before he could do it . he suddenly realized that he was floating! He looked down to see the couch getting smaller and smaller below him.  
  
Shocked, he looked at Tia. She was floating right next to him, smiling. She leaned close to him and said, "Isn't this better than moving furniture?" He smiled, pulled her close, and said, "Oh yeah . much better!" Then he added, "You won't drop us like I dropped the wardrobe, will you?"  
  
Laughing, she said, "Not a chance! I always take care of someone that I love." Even for Tia, kissing while suspended in mid-air was a new experience. She was hoping it wouldn't be too much for Eric. But the way he was kissing, he apparently had gotten used to it. They spent several minutes learning to kiss in zero gravity, enjoying being together.  
  
Without warning, Tia pulled back. She looked scared. That bothered Eric, and he said, "Tia, I'm sorry. I thought this was OK."  
  
They were floating back down to the couch as Tia said, "No, Eric, it's not you. I just got a warning. Something bad is going to happen to my brother. We're connected in a special way - you'll understand more when I get you to New Home - and sometimes I know when he's in danger."  
  
As they returned to the couch, she tried calling into her watch, silently yet with Eric listening, "Tony! Tony! This is Tia! Can you hear me? Are you OK?"  
  
After a few seconds, maybe almost a minute, she tried again. Still no response. So she decided to call New Home. "Uncle Bené, I just got the feeling that Tony is in danger! Can you check on him please?" 


	26. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 26

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 26  
  
Tony had gotten no response on the phone from Trina, because the man hung up the phone as soon as he had told Tony what to do. Ty came back into the room with a plastic shopping bag crammed with his favorite clothes and a few of his CDs. His face fell - he could just sense that something horrible had happened.  
  
Remaining calm, Tony said, "Change of plans. Leave your bag here - we have to go to my apartment right away. But first ." Tony walked over to the laptop with the camera still attached. He used the computer to wipe the camera's disks clean - then he also deleted the files he had downloaded into the laptop. The pictures and video no longer existed anywhere.  
  
He grabbed the camera, and went toward the door. Ty looked like he was going to cry. "It's my mom, isn't it? He's got my mom!" Tony didn't have time to coddle the boy, and he knew he couldn't deny it, so he said, "Yes, he does. But remember what you told me . we're three against one, and we can do some awesome stuff, right?"  
  
Ty nodded, and they went out the door together. As they walked down the hall, Tony said, "The man said that he has your mom at my apartment. Now, he might not be telling the truth, but, if he's right, that's not very far away. I want you to try calling your mom with your silent voice - yell to her, and see if she answers."  
  
As they walked down the street, Ty yelled as best he knew how in his special voice, "Mom! This is Ty! Please answer!" It almost hurt Tony's head - he had never heard anyone yell that way before . it had never been necessary to do that on New Home. But almost immediately they heard her respond. "Ty, my baby! They gave me some medicine to make me sleepy. But I'm here at Tony's apartment, and I'll help in any way I can."  
  
Tony took over talking to her. "Trina, this is Tony. Our people can sometimes manipulate things with our minds. I want you to try it, but be careful - I think the person who has you knows that our people can do this. Are your hands tied?"  
  
"Yes," she replied weakly.  
  
"OK. That's fine," Tony reassured her. "Try to make the ropes move with your mind. Can you reach out with your mind and touch the ropes, make them move at all?"  
  
Silence. Finally she said, "Yes, a little."  
  
Tony smiled and said, "Great. Just keep working at them - don't take the ropes off completely, but see if you can loosen them by the time we get there. We should be there in about 10 minutes."  
  
Just before they arrived, Tony used his watch to transmit a message to New Home, alerting them to the danger he, Ty, and Trina were in. He asked them to alert any other Homedwellers in New York, and to keep tabs on Tony's watch just in case something happened to him. Uncle Bené said that Tia was concerned that something was wrong, and they were just getting ready to check up on him. That helped Tony feel a little better.  
  
Finally they were at Tony's apartment building, and they opened the main door and went in. They slowly climbed the steps, one at a time, keeping their senses on full alert. They could actually sense Trina from two floors down - she was almost panicked.  
  
As they got to Tony's floor, they walked down the hall. They sensed no one watching them, no one hiding behind any corners. They arrived at the door to Tony's apartment, and Tony, not seeing the need to knock, just opened the door.  
  
The scene in the apartment hit them both the minute the door opened. Standing right in the doorway was the redhead man, with a gun aimed right at Tony's chest. Behind him, farther back in the living room, was another man standing with a gun pointed at Trina's head. Ty yelled out involuntarily, "Mom!" and tried to go to her. But the redhead man stopped him and aimed the gun at him.  
  
Something about the man nagged at Tony. He felt he should know him. But he was too focused on the whole scene, as well as the fact that a gun was trained on his "little brother." Tony said, as menacingly as he could, "Don't hurt either of them. I'm the one you want!"  
  
The redhead man stepped closer to Tony, keeping the gun on Ty, and smiled as he said, "Long time no see, Malone!"  
  
That did it for Tony. The past was present again, and he could see clearly who this man was . or at least who he used to be. Slowly, as if he didn't believe it possible, he said, "Truck? Is that you?"  
  
He smiled and nodded. "Yep, it's me Malone. I finally am going to get even with you." 


	27. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 27

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 27  
  
Tia was almost beside herself, and Eric was doing all he could to keep her calm. Uncle Bené let Tia know that he had contacted Tony, and that Tony and Ty were heading to the mystery man, who was camped out at Tony's apartment and was holding Trina hostage. Tia almost yelled at Uncle Bené, "No! He can't go alone! This is a set-up. This person . whoever he is . knows Tony's abilities. He'll be ready for anything. Uncle Bené, I almost lost Tony once, and now the same person that nearly made Tony kill me is trying to control him again!  
  
"Aren't there any Homedwellers nearby you can send?" Tia was crying now, and Eric almost couldn't contain himself. He had never seen Tia like this before, and the contrast with the happy, relaxed Tia just moments before was startling.  
  
Uncle Bené did his best to reassure her. "Tia, Tony is going to a place he knows, in broad daylight, with one of the most powerful Homedwellers I've ever known. This mystery man will be lucky to get away with the ability to walk, especially if he threatens Ty's mom. Now, I have several Homedwellers in the area, and they're heading there now, but when they arrive I want them to get a mental fix on what's happening before they intervene."  
  
Her uncle suddenly became aware of another presence "listening" in. "Tia," he asked with concern in his voice, "someone near you is listening to our conversation. Who is it?"  
  
Tia wiped her face and tried to calm herself at his question. In her emotion and fear she had all but forgotten that Eric was right there, watching and listening. "Um . Uncle Bené . it's Eric. He's definitely a Homedweller and has been practicing his abilities . with my help, of course. That includes communicating like we do. I wanted him to listen in - he's so important to me, I want him to know everything about me. Even when I act foolish like I just did."  
  
Eric walked up to her from behind and lightly put his arms around her, trying to let her know that he still accepted and loved her. He looked up suddenly when he heard Uncle Bené's voice say, "Eric . welcome. I look forward to the privilege of meeting you. Anyone that can impress Tia the way you have must be exceptional. Thank you for being there for her now."  
  
Eric seemed truly humbled when he said, "With all due respect, sir, Tia is the exceptional one. She has brought a purpose and meaning to my life that was lacking. I'm fortunate to have met her, and if you and your Homedwellers are anything like her, I can't wait to meet you."  
  
Tia smiled at him, a wonderful, radiant smile. Uncle Bené said, "Likewise, Eric. I am going to stop communicating with you so that we here can be ready to receive any messages Tony sends. Tia - you know I'm a man of my word, and I give you my word that the moment we hear anything about Tony's situation, I will personally let you know. Just keep your watch/transmitter with you."  
  
"OK, Uncle Bené. Thanks. I'll be waiting." And he was gone.  
  
Eric exhaled sharply and said, "Man, your family has its own special way of communicating, doesn't it?" Trying to lighten the mood, he added, "What do you do if they call while you're in the shower? Or in the middle of a good book? I mean, it's not like the phone, which you can ignore or turn off!"  
  
She shot back, silently, "Well, you'd better get used to it! It's now your way of communicating as well!" Then she smiled and said, "Actually, once you get to New Home, you'll find that family is more important than anything. We lost our planet, and many of us lost family members, so the ones we have left, and the place we live, are more important than any activity. If someone does interrupt, which can happen, you just tell them you'll contact them soon, and it's fine.  
  
"One thing I've noticed that's quite different between humans and Homedwellers is the way we get along. While we can look and sound very different from each other as individuals, we consider ourselves one big race, no matter the individual differences. And because of that, we never let anything get personal. Every Homedweller is related to me in some way, so what I say to them and what they say to me is important. If someone disagrees with me, I don't feel like I'm bad - I just realize that my idea doesn't match with theirs.  
  
"Are they sometimes wrong? Oh yeah. But so am I. I've been wrong so many times in my life that I have no right to criticize anyone - from any planet! - for being wrong as well. That's how we learn and grow. So we never feel insulted when someone corrects us or points something out. We accept it as a way to learn and grow, even if we don't agree with the other person."  
  
Eric looked pensive. "Sounds like utopia, Tia. Almost too perfect to be true."  
  
She kissed him, then said, "Well, Senator Homedweller, in one week you get to find out!"  
  
He smiled at that thought and said, "Man, I hope I can wait a week!" 


	28. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 28

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 28  
  
Tony's mind was reeling. A movie was playing inside his head - images of Truck stealing Tia's pen, trying to punch him, running off with Tia's star case, calling them names. When they had been "adopted" by Mr. Deranian, Truck resented them even more. Tony had never learned Truck's history, or how he'd been orphaned, but Tony guess that Truck felt it was unfair that two "weirdoes" should be adopted, and by a rich guy, before he got the chance to get out of the orphanage.  
  
But why on earth would Truck nurse a grudge like that all these years? The kids at the orphanage thought Tony and Tia were different, and Truck took every opportunity to emphasize it, since he was more popular than they ever were. Why on earth would he want to get at Tony now?  
  
Tony finally spoke, "Truck, or whatever your real name is, it's been almost 30 years! Have you been looking for me all this time because I won one fight?"  
  
Truck shook his head, smirking. "Oh please. You're not worth that, Malone. No, the only reason I started looking for you again is because of the man I met. He had an encounter a few years after I knew you - with a teenager named Tony who could do miraculous things. And this teenager had a sister named Tia who kept spoiling his plans, and suddenly I knew who he was talking about!"  
  
Tony gasped. "You met Dr. Gannon?"  
  
"You call him 'Dr. Gannon'? Well his friends call him Victor, or Vic. Yeah, I've met him. His lifelong ambition has been to find you two - he thinks you're aliens - and get you to use your 'powers' for him. Well, I know you got some strange abilities, 'cuz I saw you use them on me. And this guy is paying big bucks for anyone who can find you. I never liked your or your sister, and I could use some big bucks, so I started looking for you.  
  
"I accidentally found you that day when I passed by your art stand. I had been looking in North Carolina, starting at the orphanage. Using their records I traced you to Mr. Bolt, and then, after some research, found out you got away from him. I happened to be here in New York on other business when I passed by your stand. Lucky day for me - bad one for you!"  
  
While Truck had been speaking, almost gloating, he wasn't aware that Ty and Trina were communicating. Tony half-listened to their discussion as they sought for a way out of the situation.  
  
Truck continued. "Another interesting thing about Vic is that he had a little machine that could control your mind - make you into an obedient robot that did whatever he wanted. You stole things, you destroyed things, and you came thisclose to killing your own sister! Over the years, he's improved the device, and I happen to have one right here. Does this bring back any memories . Tony?"  
  
He pulled from his suit pocket a small mechanical box that Tony remembered only too well. He was having trouble remaining calm - every nerve in his body was tense. Memories began to flood his mind - the frustration at not being able to think for himself; the guilt over helping an evil man; and the fear in Tia's eyes as he tried to harm her over and over again. He felt like he was a kid again, and feared he would never see his sister or his people again. Yet through the terror in his heart, he felt determined at the same time. He had decided long ago that he would rather die than to be under someone's control again. That determination hadn't changed.  
  
One gun was still aimed at Ty, and one at Trina, and Truck said, "OK, Malone. Here's the deal. We don't care about the boy or the woman. We want you. You let me put this on you, and they can go. You refuse or try any funny business . and they die while you watch."  
  
Tony's eyes narrowed. He knew Truck was lying - he had no intention of letting the others go. He remembered Uncle Bené's words about revenge, but Truck was threatening him, his family, and his new friends. It seemed that the AAAI was willing kill anyone who stood in their way. Perhaps it was time that they experience some death - they had certainly dealt it out enough.  
  
Truck's hand reached out to place the device behind Tony's ear. Tony was going to stop him, but wasn't sure how yet. He didn't want to endanger Ty or Trina by his actions. Suddenly, however, they heard someone cry out, "NOOOOOOOO!!!"  
  
It was Ty. Apparently afraid they were going to kidnap Tony again, he couldn't stand it anymore. Before Tony could even blink, Truck and his associate were gone. In a daze, Tony looked around to see what happened to them - no Homedweller could teleport himself or anyone else! It just couldn't be done. Surely Ty hadn't done that!  
  
Then Tony realized, as his brain finally allowed sound to enter, that he had heard breaking glass and two men screaming in fear. He looked up and saw that both had been driven out of the closed window and were hanging in the air. If Ty let them drop, it would be a 50-foot fall to the ground. Their guns were not in their hands - Tony saw them lying on the floor just inside the window.  
  
Tony couldn't help but be impressed. He might have been able to do that to one of the men, but not that quickly, and there's no way he could have done it to more than one! Ty looked shaken but determined. Tony was still rattled himself, but tried to get back in control of the situation. First, he looked over at Trina, and caused her ropes and gag to fall off. She looked relieved, although still somewhat drugged. He mentally lifted her up and laid her on the couch. Her eyes closed, and she appeared to be resting.  
  
Then he stepped next to Ty and gave him a big hug. Ty hugged back, almost hanging on for dear life. Tony was beginning to realize how much Ty needed him - that was why Ty couldn't bear to see anything happen to Tony. And Tony was beginning to feel an attachment to this boy who had really become a younger brother to him.  
  
The two men in the air were still yelling, but it was less fear and more obscenities and threats. Tony looked at Ty and said, "OK, you've shown off enough!" Ty smiled, as did Tony. "Now, what did you have in mind . or are you playing this by ear?"  
  
Ty said, "I guess by ear. I just knew I had to get both of them out of the room, so they couldn't hurt you or my mom. I didn't think any farther than that."  
  
Tony mussed Ty's hair and said, "You did great, Ty. You saved my life and your mom's life! You're the best!"  
  
An idea came to Tony, and he said, "I know what we can do to these guys, but first we need to talk to them. Hold them there for a second longer." Tony then concentrated on the ropes that had come off of Trina. At his gaze, they rose through the air, tied themselves together, and headed out what used to be the window. They wrapped themselves around the two men, tying them to each other, back to back.  
  
Once the rope was secure, and just a little too tight for their comfort, Tony said, "OK, Ty . bring them back in." Without even looking like he was concentrating, Ty made both men float gently back in through the hole they'd made in the large window. They landed a little hard on the floor, and Tony suspected that Ty had done that on purpose, since he obviously had the power to set them down gently.  
  
Tony stepped closer to them, looking sternly at Truck. A second later, Truck's wallet flew out of his pocket and into Tony's hand. Tony opened it up and found a driver's license with Truck's picture on it. It was from North Carolina, and was in the name of "Travis Pluck." Tony said, "Oh, I get it - Travis . Pluck . Tr-uck!" Clever nickname. Now, Travis . where is the not-so-good doctor?"  
  
Truck practically spit his answer at Tony. "I'll never tell you, Malone! You and the other freaks deserve what he's going to do to you!" 


	29. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 29

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 29  
  
Tia tried to relax as she and Eric watched the news. It had taken the better part of an hour to put all of the furniture and other things back into a reasonable order. It helped keeping busy - she didn't worry about Tony as much. But now, sitting idly, she couldn't help but worry again.  
  
"Tia!" Uncle Bené's voice called out.  
  
Eric muted the TV as she replied, "Yes, I'm here! What's going on? How's Tony?"  
  
He chuckled as he said, "Oh, he's fine! I haven't heard from him - I'm actually getting information from Trina, Ty's mom. She communicates very well, as if she'd been doing it all her life. There's one thing she doesn't understand, and I don't either. Tia, does the name 'Truck' ring a bell to you at all?"  
  
Tia looked like she'd been shot - so much so that it scared Eric. She couldn't even form words at first. "Uncle Bené . when we were in the orphanage, after Granny Malone died . there was a mean boy there . big kid named Truck. He picked fights with us, tried to steal my star case and tried to beat up Tony. He knew we were different, and he hated us for it. Why do you ask?" The she gasped and asked, "Is he the mystery man?"  
  
Uncle Bené replied, "Apparently so. He's been searching for you and Tony for years because someone that controlled Tony at one point wants to control him again. Tia . would that be this Dr. Gannon you two encountered in Los Angeles?"  
  
Tia was now white as a sheet. She nodded her head, then, realizing that her uncle couldn't see that, said, "Yes, it has to be. How did those two ever meet up?" She paused, then added, "I can see now, though, why they joined forces. Both of them knew of Tony and Tia together - without ever knowing a last name - and knew they were different and could do things humans can't do."  
  
Then a thought struck her, and she said, "Uncle Bené . has Trina told heard what Truck's real name is?"  
  
"Why yes. Tony just read it from his driver's license. It's Travis Pluck."  
  
Tia said, to Eric as much as to Uncle Bené, "I knew it! In the report I was preparing for Eric, it said that the man who started the AAAI was Dr. Gannon, and that a Travis Pluck was second in command! Uncle Bené, I'm afraid that Truck's goal is to turn Tony over to Dr. Gannon. We may have stopped Truck, but until we can get to the source - Dr. Gannon - we really haven't won."  
  
All was silent for a moment. Then Uncle Bené said, "You're right, Tia. I'm arranging a secret place where our New York trio can hide out for the night. Once they're there, we need to have another conference call to make a plan. Eric, would you be able to come up here to visit right away? We might not be able to wait a week."  
  
Eric looked surprised, but said, "If you need me there tonight, I'll be there. My constituents may not understand why, but this is much more important than some dry old debates on the Senate floor. Just let me know what I can do to help, sir."  
  
Uncle Bené chuckled and said, "Eric, we're family. Please stop calling me 'sir' and start calling me Uncle!"  
  
Eric said, "That'll take some getting used to, but I will do it, s- . I mean . I will do it!"  
  
"See that you do!" Uncle Bené said jokingly. Then he added, "Tia, stay near your transmitter. We'll begin the conference call as soon as Tony and company are in place. Eric, I'd like you to be present as well."  
  
He smiled. "I'll be there, Unc!" He and Tia started laughing, and they heard Uncle Bené say, "'Unc'? I've been raising kids for almost 100 years and he calls me 'Unc'?" Then he laughed and said, "Alright, I'll talk to you two tonight. Now behave!" And he was gone.  
  
After a couple of minutes of silence, Tia said, "Eric, let's go back to my place. I have my transmitter there, and while I can still communicate from here, I don't want to take any chances. Also, if we need to get out of here tonight, they'll pick me up near my apartment."  
  
Eric stood and said, "OK, let's go. First let me get dressed, and then we can head out. Do you want me to call my limo?"  
  
She shook her head and said, "No. Let's keep this between us for now. I don't know how many eyes and ears the AAAI might have in Washington, but if anyone here knows I'm related to Tony, I don't want them finding out you're involved."  
  
Tia winked at Eric and said, "Besides . you need some more practice before you are able to defend me!" He rolled his eyes, and as he turned, a pillow came flying and smacked Tia on the side of her head. As it fell to the ground, she looked stunned. "Eric! Did you do that?"  
  
He feigned innocence and said, "Me? Why, I couldn't have! I need much more practice before I could ever defend you!" And he headed off to change clothes. 


	30. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 30

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 30  
  
Truck wouldn't talk, and he just got nastier and nastier. Tony realized, sadly, that some people never change. He and Tia hadn't changed very much - as children they would never have hurt a person or an animal, and they still felt the same way. But they had matured in character, and were able to solve problems as adults. People like Truck never quit being bullies, and never quit using childish means to solve their problems.  
  
After silently conferring with Ty, and realizing they weren't going to get anywhere, he had Ty levitate both men so they were suspended between floor and ceiling, unable to touch anything. Mentally Tony undid the rope that tied them together. As it fell to the ground, he systematically began to undress both men.  
  
While both men protested loudly and accused Tony of being perverse, he knew exactly what he was doing and why. He didn't physically touch either man, and he left both in their boxer shorts. He just wanted to get them out of the way for a while. Once they each only had one article of clothing on, the rope floated back up and tied them together again, back to back.  
  
Causing both men to face away from him for a second, Tony took the small tracking chip from his watch. He mentally made it fly toward the back of Truck's head and into his hair. He had the hair wrap itself around the chip, so that (hopefully) even if Truck washed his hair or combed it vigorously, the chip would remain. He didn't want to kidnap the men, and didn't know where he would keep them if he did, but he wanted to be able to find Truck again should he need to. That might be the only way he would be able to locate Dr. Gannon.  
  
Once that was secretly done, Tony said, "Gentlemen, we're sending you on your way. Don't let any of us have contact with you again, or you will not get off this easy. Leave us alone . for good!"  
  
At that, Ty made them fly back out the window - carefully, so as not to cut them on the jagged edges of the broken glass - and two blocks away to a 10- story building that could be seen from Tony's apartment. Ty deposited them neatly on the roof, where they would be found, nearly naked, tied together, with no ID and no proof of who they were or why they were there. Tony deeply hoped that it would lead to a few days in jail, and that he and his new family would be out of New York before they were released.  
  
Tony went through the men's clothes, confiscating their wallets and any other items that might provide a clue to where Dr. Gannon was. He then asked Ty to send the clothes to the dumpster on the street below. Ty did one better - he sent them across the street to the garbage truck on its rounds! If Truck and his friend ever found their clothes, they definitely wouldn't want to wear them again.  
  
They walked over to the couch to check on Trina. Ty, now that the battle was over, began acting like an 11-year-old. He hugged his mom and began to cry. His mom held him and said, over and over again, "It's OK, baby. It's alright." Tony stood nearby, one hand on Ty's shoulder, trying to help comfort him.  
  
After getting the tears out of his system, Ty wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He looked at his mom and said, "I'm sorry, Mom. I was just so scared that they hurt you. I already lost my dad, and I couldn't stand to lose you, too. I hope you're not mad for what I did to those guys."  
  
She sat up a little and said, "Mad? Oh honey, not at all! I'm proud of you! That was the best I've ever seen a boy protect his mom! It made me realize how lucky I am - and how lucky both of us are that we met Tony. It helps to know that we have a family, and also that we can do things like this to protect ourselves."  
  
Tony sensed a presence nearby, and looked up. A tall, slender woman was standing at the door of the apartment. She had kind features and long, blonde hair. She smiled at Tony, and he recognized her. "Trina and Ty, this is my friend Blair. She's a Homedweller, and if I'm not mistaken, she's here to take us to a safe place for the night."  
  
Blair entered the room and went straight to Trina. She spoke silently, "Hi, Trina. It's nice to meet you. I can't wait to show you around our home and let you meet your people. I know you are weak, but we need to get out of here. Those men know where you live and, obviously, where Tony lives. We have a Homedweller here in New York that has a large apartment you can stay in tonight."  
  
As Trina tried to sit up to speak, Blair said, "Before you sit up, please take my hand." She did, and both Ty and Tony could feel heat emanating from the women holding hands. Trina looked startled as the heat radiated through her body. Once it was gone, she sat up and asked Blair, "What was that?"  
  
Blair smiled as she helped Trina to her feet. "Each person at New Home has different abilities. Some of us have the same abilities as others, but to different degrees. The only thing I can seem to do well is to make people feel better. I can make an illness pass or at least make it last less time than it normally would. In your case, I simply made the drugs that the men gave you dissipate immediately. You will still be tired, but it should be a natural thing now, and not the result of medicines."  
  
Trina smiled, then impulsively hugged Blair. "Thank you. All of you are so kind. I'm so thankful that we met you." She then hugged Tony and Ty, and said, "You guys are the best! I owe you my life. And Tony." she looked right in his eyes and said, "we owe you everything. I will never be able to repay you, but I will never stop trying."  
  
Tony's eyes moistened as he replied, "Trina, if you are happy at New Home, I will have all the reward I ever need."  
  
Blair silently urged them on, saying, "The place we're staying is far from here, so we need to go. There is a Homedweller waiting downstairs with a car - we don't want him to attract any attention while he waits for us." Tony grabbed his transmitter and the laptop - he didn't have to have anything else - and headed toward the door. Blair led the way out of the apartment, and the rest followed.  
  
As they went down the stairs slowly - Blair seemed to be very cautious - Ty whispered audibly to Tony, "Why doesn't Blair use her regular voice?" Tony smiled and whispered back, "She can't. You see, talking without using your mouth is the way everyone on our planet communicated. Some of us had audible voices, and some didn't. When we got to earth, it was very hard on those who couldn't speak audibly. Earth people said they were 'deaf and dumb.' But they could hear, and they could talk - just not in a way that humans could hear!"  
  
Ty was thinking about that. He asked Tony silently, "So what do Homedwellers who can't speak out loud do when they're on assignment?"  
  
Tony was impressed. That was a very intelligent question. He replied, "They actually learn sign language so they can pass as deaf people on earth. It's really a great way to get information, because if people think you're deaf, they will say anything around you. The hardest part is to convince deaf humans that you are deaf yourself - for that they have to really study sign language so they can be convincing."  
  
They were silent the rest of the way to the car. Tony, Ty, and Trina piled into the back, and Blair got in front next to the driver. After all that had happened, the three in the back just wanted to rest. No one talked on the way to the safe place. They just enjoyed the peace and the feeling of safety. 


	31. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 31

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 31  
  
The "conference call" that night was amazing, even for the Homedwellers who were used to them. It was as if all of the participants - Uncle Bené, Aunt Bri, Tony, Trina, Ty, Tia, and Eric - were sitting around a table, just talking. The conversation sounded just like that, but the reality was that Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri were on New Home, Tony, Trina and Ty were in New York, and Tia and Eric were in Washington, D.C.  
  
Tony and his new friends were in a penthouse apartment near the outskirts of New York City. Tony had never seen luxury like this - even the apartment that Mr. Bolt had set up for them when he adopted/kidnapped them wasn't this nice. Trina and Ty were blown away - Ty thought it was the best, and Trina just seemed to be in a daze. She had told Tony that never in her wildest dreams had she ever imagined living in such luxury, except, she added jokingly, if she were the live-in maid.  
  
They set up for the conference call in a nice, comfortable parlor. If the mood had been more joyous, the call itself would have been a lot more fun. Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri welcomed the new Homedwellers exuberantly and wanted so much to tell them more about their people, but there were more pressing issues before them. Uncle Bené, after the introductions were made, started off. "The main reason we are all taking part in this conference is because we each have a different perspective on the threat to New Home that is showing up. Tony, Trina and Ty have encountered this threat directly; Tia and Eric only indirectly.  
  
"What we need is to come up with a plan. We could simply pick up the New York trio tonight and whisk them off to New Home, but that would leave Truck with the opportunity to network more with Victor Gannon. And we know from Tia's information, supplied by her assistant, that they have been mapping the area around Witch Mountain for a while and even tried to obtain aerial photographs. That won't stop if Tony just disappears.  
  
"Tony has already told us that he planted a tracking device on Truck. We have been monitoring it, and after moving from where Ty put the two men, it has remained stationary for about the past hour. We checked the location via satellite, and it's the local jail! So Tony, your scheme to get Truck and his associate in trouble worked. We already have an undercover Homedweller stationed outside the jail to trail him when he is released. We're also hoping to find out who pays his bail and gets him out - that could be another piece of the puzzle.  
  
"The question now is . what next? Does anyone have any ideas?"  
  
Tia was the first to respond. "Well, it seems obvious to me that we need to wait for Truck to get released from jail, and then follow him to wherever Dr. Gannon is."  
  
Tony replied, "Yeah, but what if Dr. Gannon isn't even in New York? He could be in California for all we know. Do we just trail Truck until we find him, even if he doesn't go back to him for a while?"  
  
Eric actually chimed in. "I know I'm the new guy, so if I'm off base, just let me know. It's OK . I'm a Senator, and people usually have no problem telling me what they think of me!" Everyone chuckled - it felt good to laugh. He continued, "I know that the AAAI is asking for a decision within a month. I'm the one who is supposed to present their request to the Senate committee I'm on, and they are really pressuring me to get it done quickly. I assume that they are already planning to do what they are requesting, which is to enter the Witch Mountain area and also take aerial photographs using satellites. They just want official permission to do that.  
  
"Where I'm going with this is that I think as soon as this Truck guy gets out of jail, he'll make a beeline for this doctor. They have too much at stake to let Tony getting away from them stop their plans to track all of you down. So . my vote is to keep an eye on Truck, and be ready to follow him as soon as he's free."  
  
It was silent for a moment, and then Trina spoke up. "I really have no experience in what you are talking about. But Eric, with all due respect, after hearing what you just said, my own thoughts turned to, 'Then what?' Let's say we follow Truck and he leads us straight to Dr. Gannon. Then what? What do we do once we have both of them? Just leaving them has never stopped them, and we can't kill them. So what we really need to discuss here is . how do we get them to stop looking for us - period?"  
  
Tony was impressed. Trina had brought up a very good point. Apparently Uncle Bené agreed, because he said, "You are absolutely right, Trina. I'm glad you said that, since that leads us to a plan of action. I do know that, when we first got Tony and Tia home to safety, the man who was chasing them - Mr. Bolt - gave up when he saw our lifeboat take off. Seeing a 'flying saucer' apparently made him think that Tony and Tia were now unreachable. Is there anything similar we can do to make Dr. Gannon and Truck just give up?"  
  
Again it was silent. Everyone was thinking. No one could readily think of a way to stop this for good. Tony felt deep inside that Dr. Gannon was different from Mr. Bolt. Dr. Gannon knew they were aliens and wanted them anyway; Mr. Bolt thought they were just psychic, so their being aliens made him leave them alone. That tactic just wouldn't work with the AAAI.  
  
Suddenly, Ty spoke up. "I know! All we have to do is get them mad at each other! The only reason they are this close is because they are working together. If we get them to not trust each other, they might give up looking for us . or at least they'll have a tougher time without each other."  
  
Tony added, "I think he's on to something. Truck told me that the only reason he was helping Dr. Gannon was because the doc offered to give him a lot of money if he led him to us. Truck's heart isn't really in this, I don't think. He just wants to get rich, and then he's out of the picture."  
  
Uncle Bené said, "Alright, so how do we breed mistrust between these two? Is there a way that we could convince Truck that he won't get paid after all? That would make him leave us alone, it seems. But how could we do that?"  
  
Eric spoke up. "Another idea is to make the doctor not trust Truck. If we could set it up that Truck was ready to turn Tony over to him, and then at the last minute Tony could get free and tell Truck, 'Thanks for getting me to the doc. Our plan worked.' Or something like that. I think that, no matter how much Truck denied it, Dr. Gannon would never trust him again."  
  
There followed more silence, as everyone thought about what had been suggested. Suddenly Tia declared, "I have it! I think this plan will work!" 


	32. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 32

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 32  
  
It was the next day - less than 24 hours after he was arrested - that Truck was released. He walked out of the jail, followed by Jake, his partner in crime who had been arrested along with him, and by Ken, Dr. Gannon's assistant who had paid their bail. When they got out the door, Truck grabbed Ken's cell phone out of his hand.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ken cried. Truck gave him a dirty look and said, "I'm calling Vic. I've worked my butt off trying to get Malone to him, and I don't want to be stiffed just because he got away."  
  
Ken protested that Dr. Gannon needed his rest, and that he could tell Truck what the doctor wanted, but Truck ignored him. After several rings, a raspy, tired voice answered the phone. "Yes?"  
  
Truck didn't waste any time. "Vic, he got me good. I knew Malone could do stuff with his mind, but I didn't know the kid with him could, too. Now, I still want to get paid, but I don't want to get pushed out of any more windows. So what do we do?"  
  
Dr. Victor Gannon spoke slowly. "First of all, Travis, are you in a secure location? This is a very confidential subject."  
  
Truck looked around. He said, "Yeah, we're fine. There are two guys half a block away, and they're holding up signs that say 'I'm deaf - please help me out.' I don't think they'll pick anything up."  
  
The doctor continued. "Very well. I want you to stake out Tony's art stand again. I believe that he is as determined as I am. He believes he has gotten rid of you, so he won't be watching for you again. Find a different location from which to observe him. When you feel you know his routine, make your move."  
  
"What do you mean, 'make your move'? You want me to just grab him? I've already tried that! C'mon, Vic . give me more to go on than that!"  
  
Dr. Gannon sounded especially menacing as he said, "Ask Ken for the special package."  
  
Truck looked at Ken and said, "You got a special package for me?"  
  
Ken smiled and evil smile and reached into his suit pocket. He pulled out a narrow box, small enough to fit into his hand. Truck reached out, took it, and opened it.  
  
Inside he fond a small bottle with an slightly-brownish liquid and a hypodermic needle. "OK, Vic," Truck said into the phone. "I've got the 'package.' So what do I do with it?"  
  
"Travis," the doctor said, "you are always so quick to ask but slow to think. That is the same medicine I used to subdue Tony when I first met him. It kept him from doing any harm to me. It will work again. Once you know his routine, his movements, you will find a way to sneak up behind him and inject that into his body. It doesn't matter where you do it - arm, neck, back - it will work just as quickly. Then, if anyone is watching, you can say, 'My friend just passed out! Help me get him into my car!' Or something to that effect. Then . you can bring him to me."  
  
Truck chuckled and said, "Oh, I get it! Yeah, Vic . this is a great idea! I'll be in touch." And he disconnected the call. Turning to Jake and Ken, he asked, "Alright, you guys. I need to get an apartment near where Malone's art stand is. Let's go get one, and then we'll start watching for him. I want to get that money!"  
  
The three of them started off down the street, passing the two deaf men who were conversing animatedly in sign language. However, one of the men continued to watch the three as they walked away. 


	33. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 33

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 33  
  
Painting was easy compared to this, Tony thought. Knowing someone was after you, and that you couldn't stop them, was much more difficult than anything he'd ever attempted in his life. He was at the same downtown corner, with the same easel and canvases, and the same business cards, keeping his eye out. But this time, he was watching for more than Homedwellers - he was also watching for danger.  
  
If he had been looking up, instead of around him or at the café across the street, he might have noticed the pair of eyes peering through Venetian blinds from a window in a building right next to the café. The apartment building was hardly that - two stories of run-down studios - but the owner made good money by renting the small units out. One of those was rented to Travis Pluck.  
  
Truck was glad to have found such an easy way to spy on Tony and not be seen, as he had been at the café. He had been watching Tony for three days since his release. He knew what time Tony arrived, when he stopped for lunch, and what time he finished for the day. Truck had never followed Tony after work - he didn't want to risk another encounter. But he didn't need to . he would execute his plan from here, where he could plan the details.  
  
And plan he had. He noticed that Tony's stand was a few feet down from the entrance to an alley. He could conceivably hide in the alley, and when Tony was busy painting, sneak up behind him and inject him. The problem was that it was at least 20 steps from the alley to the easel, and he would be heard or seen before he could get him.  
  
It was actually Jake who had suggested a way to get Tony to move down closer to the alley. He had carefully stolen some construction cones and barriers, and that night he was going to set them up where Tony's easel normally was. He would also put up a sign that said "Cable Work Underground." Tony would either have to move closer to the street corner, where he would actually be right on the street corner, or retreat farther back, closer to the alley. They were betting on the latter.  
  
Tony started packing up at the same time he did every day. Truck was almost giddy - he could almost taste all the money Vic was going to give him! Tomorrow was the day he would deliver his prize. And it was actually something he had wanted to do all of his life. Truck had never felt it fair that Tony had a sister to be with. It wasn't fair that Tony got to be adopted so soon. Truck had always believed that, although the person that adopted Tony and Tia wasn't related to them, at least the guy was loaded! Truck had never gotten the same opportunities Tony had . but now he would be rich and important, and Tony would be the one no one heard from.  
  
That night, Truck and Tony both hardly slept. Truck kept dreaming about his plan succeeding, repeating each step in it over and over again. Tony felt deeply that the next day would be a turning point. He wanted to retreat from this, but it had to be played out . whatever it was. The fate of his people depended on it, but the risk was so great he couldn't help but be frightened.  
  
The next morning was overcast, and the promise of rain hung in the air. Tony didn't want to even get out of bed. No one would have blamed a street artist for sleeping in on a day like that. But Tony had a strong sense of duty and honor. He was expected to be there . and he would be.  
  
When Tony arrived at his usual spot, he somehow wasn't surprised that construction was going on there. It just seemed right - this day wasn't going to be a normal day! He decided to avoid the rush of traffic at the corner, since his heart really wasn't in painting today, and set up on the other side of the construction site, closer to the alley.  
  
Watching through the blinds across the street, Truck saw Tony setting up - right on time. The location Tony had chosen was perfect! He laughed to himself and told Jake to get into the car and get ready to pick up Truck's "suddenly unconscious" friend.  
  
Tony tried to paint. He started and restarted several times. Something wasn't right . he just knew it. Finally he began to paint the sun peeking through the menacing clouds. The brightness of the sun, muted by the atmosphere, but still trying to break through, represented Tony's soul. A darkness hung over him, an uneasiness and despair. Yet through it all, hope and reassurance were trying to be seen and make themselves known. Tony decided to paint the clouds and sunshine, since they represented how he felt.  
  
Finally beginning to enjoy the scene he was painting, he felt the sunshine really did represent his belief that everything was going to be okay. He was painting with fervor, when suddenly an alarm went off in his head. It was the same as the night the strange car was spying on him, and when the man in the café, who he now knew to be Truck, tried to follow Ty. He wanted to turn around, and look behind him, but hesitated.  
  
Pain! A sharp stinging in his back! Tony felt an incredible rush of déjà vu as he was transported in his memory back to the day that Dr. Gannon kidnapped him. All of the sensations of that day - wondering what was happening, wondering if Tia was alright, wondering if he'd ever see Uncle Bené again - all came screaming back to his mind.  
  
And then he fell, unconscious. He was afraid no longer.  
  
Truck looked around to see if he needed to put on an act for any passersby, but no one was there, and no one was watching. So, he picked Tony up and carried him to the waiting black sedan. Jake opened the back door, and Truck unceremoniously pushed Tony's unconscious form into the back seat.  
  
Jake and Truck got back into the car, and Jake drove off down the street as Truck pulled out a cell phone. He dialed a number he had memorized long ago. When someone answered, he simply said, "Vic . we got him!" 


	34. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 34

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 34  
  
The sedan drove across town to a run-down house on the outskirts. It used to be called a mansion, but it now looked like more of a haunted house. The car drove up the long, curved driveway and stopped in front of the main entrance. A servant from the manor came out to the car with a wheelchair. Truck grabbed Tony's feet and began to pull him from the back seat. Catching him before he fell out, he grabbed Tony under the arms and hoisted him into the wheelchair.  
  
Holding him in the wheelchair, since he was still unconscious, Truck pushed Tony down a long hallway, around a corner, and into a large room. The room was lined with windows on two sides, since it was in the corner of the large house, but it still seemed gloomy. With the heavy clouds outside, and the spirit of hate and greed inside, nothing there could be described as cheerful.  
  
The room was sparsely furnished. It had, at one time, probably been a music room or sunroom. But that was long ago. Now it simply had a large hospital-type bed in the center of the room, several tables along the wall with medical instruments, and several hospital-looking machines in one corner.  
  
As Truck entered the room with his prize, he asked the servant to get the doctor immediately. "He owes me big time, and I want to collect . now."  
  
The servant left to summon the doctor while Truck and Jake lifted Tony onto the bed and began to fasten restraints on him. Two large restraints ran across his chest and his upper legs. Smaller ones were wrapped around his wrists and ankles.  
  
"Well, you finally succeeded! Well done, Travis." Truck turned around and was greeted by the sight of Dr. Victor Gannon. Now 89 years old, he hardly looked like the man who had tried to harness Tony's abilities so long ago. Hate and greed had aged him prematurely. He was pale and gaunt. Most of his hair was gone. He wore large glasses to be able to see, and had a hearing aid. He was so weak that he could no longer walk unaided, and used a mechanized wheelchair to get around.  
  
He tried to smile at Truck, but as always, it looked more like a grimace. Truck had been playing second fiddle to the doctor for years. He let Dr. Gannon believe that he agreed with him about alien threat. He acted like he wanted to see Tony's people in subjection to humans. But actually, all Truck wanted was cold, hard cash. And now he was done acting . it was time to collect.  
  
Truck said, "Thanks, Vic. That means a lot. But what I want to see is some hard evidence that you appreciate what I did. Where is it?"  
  
Dr. Gannon hardly heard what Truck was saying. Here was Tony . again . in his power! Oh, the marvelous things he could do now! Years ago he had made too many mistakes. First he depended on that money-grubbing Letha Wedge to supply what he needed, so he had to include her in his plans. She had no vision, no dreams of anything greater than Las Vegas. She had stood in his way, proven herself to be a stumbling block.  
  
Then he had underestimated Tony's sister. She was persistent, and even the doctor could not stop her nor persuade Tony to eliminate her. But now she was nowhere to be seen. It was just Victor and Tony, and nothing was going to stand in his way this time. Not even Truck's incessant whining.  
  
"You will be paid in due time, Travis. Let me enjoy this moment, after the years of waiting."  
  
Truck looked agitated. "Yeah, well I've been waiting, too! And I want my money . NOW!" Silently, carefully, he reached behind him, under his coat, for the gun he always carried there. 


	35. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 35

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 35  
  
They had seen it all. As hard as it was to watch, they had seen it all, and now it was time to act.  
  
Unknown to Truck and his associate, Tony had been under observation by other eyes the entire time. Tia, Eric, Ty, Trina, and Blair had been, ironically, in an apartment two doors down from Truck. They had been watching Tony from the same set of windows as the enemy, but also listening in on Truck's plan.  
  
The hardest part of all had been watching Truck seize Tony. Just as she had years before, Tia felt the prick of the needle in Tony's back just as he felt it. She also relived the fear and uncertainty as she watched him being hauled away. Ty was beside himself - it took every ounce of self- restraint to keep him from sending Truck to the moon . and the others were quite sure he could have done it.  
  
What helped all of them keep their cool was knowing that they were strong enough to rescue Tony at any point of the plan - even if it meant aborting the plan entirely - and that, if it was successful, they would never have to fear Truck, Dr. Gannon, or the AAAI again.  
  
Between them they had sensed, as Tony had, which day Truck was going to make his move. While most were in the apartment watching when he did, Eric and Blair were in a car, ready to follow Truck when he took off. In the time it took Truck to get Tony into his sedan, the others had time to rush down and get into the rented minivan. When Jake drove off down the street, he never dreamed that Tony's sister and extended family were in hot pursuit.  
  
It was tricky for Eric to drive close enough to keep the sedan in his sights, and yet far enough back so that Truck would not know he was being followed. One benefit to being a Homedweller was the ability to slow Truck's car down, or make a traffic light change early so that he didn't get too far ahead.  
  
So far it had worked. When the sedan drove into the driveway of the old house, Eric had parked the van on the street where a clump of large bushes kept it from being seen from the house itself. He was getting ready to ask Tia what to do, when she got out of the van and using her silent voice told everyone to follow her.  
  
It was imperative that none of them be seen, so they stayed out of sight. Blair, in addition to being a healer, also had the ability to hear from a great distance. As children, Tony and Tia could hear the dogs at Mr. Bolt's mansion from over 20 miles away . Blair could hear much more than that. She would have been able to overhear actual conversations from that far away.  
  
Blair was not only able to hear every word spoken, she was also able to follow the source and know where in the house it was coming from. She communicated to the others silently what was happening. Once Tony was strapped in, Tia knew that the attention of Truck and Dr. Gannon would be diverted. She told everyone, "Follow me," and immediately began to rise into the air.  
  
She floated carefully, slowly, gently, from tree to tree. The others followed suit. Blair, being unable to levitate, was carried along by Ty. It was no problem for him to float along himself, carry Blair, and talk with others at the same time.  
  
When they came to the last tree before reaching the mansion, Tia decided to risk it and fly directly from there to the corner of the house where Blair indicated Tony was being held. She flew quickly - almost like a missile - and landed quietly in the bushes just outside the examination room where Tony was.  
  
The overcast sky was working in their favor. There was more light from within the room than from without, so they could peek in the windows carefully and not be seen. Tia had to push the fear aside when she saw her brother held captive. Setting him free now would not change their situation - it might only make it worse.  
  
Scanning the room visually and mentally, she found that only Truck, Dr. Gannon, and Tony were in the room. Others were in the house, but only these three needed to be reckoned with at the moment. She reminded everyone of their task, and they all began to concentrate.  
  
She saw Truck reaching behind his back. She didn't know he had a gun back there, but she did sense that he was up to no good. Suddenly the hand Truck was moving behind him stopped and started moving toward Tony. Truck looked up in surprise - it felt like someone was grabbing his arm by the wrist and making him reach out and touch Tony's head. Eric smiled - it felt good to get at the bad guy for once.  
  
Dr. Gannon's expression, while difficult to read, took on a look of disbelief. He looked up at Truck and said, "Travis, what are you doing?" Truck tried to speak, but didn't know what to say. He actually didn't know what he was doing!  
  
As his hand rested on Tony's forehead, Blair was working. Healing someone from a distance had never been easy for her - it was always much better to be in direct, skin-to-skin contact with the person. However, Tony didn't need to be healed. He just needed to have the drugs he had been given subside. That she could do from where she was. Tony started to moan and open his eyes a little.  
  
To Dr. Gannon, it appeared that Tony was rousing because Truck was causing it to happen. He looked from Tony to Truck several times, then said, "Travis, how are you doing that? Stop it at once!"  
  
Truck still didn't reply . he tried to say, "I'm not doing anything!" but the words stuck in his throat.  
  
Tony blinked and started to sit up. His straps came undone, one after the other, courtesy of Trina. Blair's work was done now, and Tony's head was clear. He was still somewhat dazed, but he heard Tia's voice telling him the plan was in effect and reminding him of his part.  
  
That was what he needed. He looked up and actually gasped when he saw Dr. Gannon. He had seen old people before, but Dr. Gannon looked like he was almost dead. Even Granny Malone in her twilight years looked more spry and alive than the doctor did.  
  
Remembering his part, he looked up and Truck and said, "Thanks, Travis. You did it! You got me to the doc!"  
  
Truck started shaking his head and said, "What are you talking about, Malone? I just brought you to the doc so he would pay me! That's all! I don't care about anything else!"  
  
Dr. Gannon said, "Travis, you told me you believed in our cause! You told me you wanted to help me because it was your lifelong ambition to rid the earth of this threat! Now I hear you say that you never cared. And Tony is thanking you for helping him. Tell me the truth, Travis! Tell me now!"  
  
Truck started backing up, one hand reaching behind him. Tony was looking at Dr. Gannon. He said, "Vic, Truck is one of my people! We've been working for years to smoke you out, and this seemed like the best chance! He roused me using the powers we have, and now we can make sure you don't bother any of us again!"  
  
Startled, Truck started yelling, "No! That's not true! I'm not one of you, you freak! Tell him!"  
  
Dr. Gannon looked even more pale than before. He began to see his dreams crumbling again. He said, trembling, "Travis, is this true? Are you really one of the enemy? You would rob me of my money just to turn on me?"  
  
Tony nodded and said, "It's all true, doc. You've been had. And now we want to make sure you won't bother us anymore."  
  
Suddenly, Truck yelled, "Everybody SHUT UP!" Tony looked, and his mouth fell open when he saw Truck brandishing a pistol. He pointed it at Tony, then at Dr. Gannon, then back again. He couldn't make up his mind who the target should be.  
  
Tony's mind was racing. So was Tia's. This wasn't in the plan, but they would have to work with it. But what should they do?  
  
Truck pointed the gun at Tony. "Malone, you tell him now that I am not one of your stupid freaky people! And tell him to give me my money! That's all I want!"  
  
Hoping he would be able to deflect the bullet if Truck fired, Tony shook his head and said, "C'mon, Travis. You're carrying this act too far! You know we planned this a long time ago. Stop pretending this is new. Put the play gun away and let's take care of the good doctor."  
  
Dr. Gannon actually attempted to yell. "Travis, I don't know what's going on here, but no matter what it is, it's clear that I cannot trust you! You won't get one dime from me! Our partnership is over at this moment. Now leave me and let me deal with Tony."  
  
Truck looked like a crazed animal. He screamed, "No! I have spent too many years getting to this point! You're not going to rob me now! NO!" Suddenly he swung the gun and aimed it at Dr. Gannon. Before Tony could react, the gun went off.  
  
There was an explosion of noise, and Dr. Victor Gannon fell from his wheelchair. He lay on the ground, not moving. 


	36. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 36

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 36  
  
Truck was shocked. He had never meant to kill anyone. In all his life, as violent as he had been, he had never killed anyone. But his shock and grief at shooting Dr. Gannon turned to anger. He slowly moved his arm so that the pistol was aimed at Tony's head.  
  
"This is all your fault, Malone! I'd never be in this stinking mess if not for you and your freak sister! I've already killed someone now, so I guess a second one won't matter.  
  
"Goodbye, Malone."  
  
Truck's finger squeezed on the trigger . and suddenly the gun was gone. It had been knocked from his hand by an unseen force. Immediately, Truck flew to the ceiling. It was as if his back was glued to it. He yelled, "Hey, Malone! Put me down!" Tony, exhaling slowly in relief, looked up and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"I'm not doing anything, Truck! I think it's my freak sister!"  
  
He turned toward the row of windows where he sensed his family. He smiled at them, and with his mind opened the large windows completely. He then effortlessly cut a hole in the screen, and they all floated in. As an afterthought, he also turned and locked the door leading into the room from the rest of the house - he didn't know if anyone would respond to the sound of the gunshot, but he didn't want to deal with anyone else at the moment.  
  
Tony then quickly knelt next to the doctor. He was lying facedown on the floor. He was still breathing, but Tony was concerned.  
  
Tia knelt beside Tony and said silently, "He's OK, Tony. I deflected the bullet when the gun went off. It actually hit the wall behind him . he reacted to the sound, I think."  
  
Tony felt a mixture of compassion and revulsion. Lying before him was the man who would have subjugated him and his whole race for his own selfish pleasure. And yet . he was hurt and old and frail, and Tony couldn't help but want to do something. He said, "Doc, you didn't get shot. You're OK."  
  
Victor Gannon struggled to speak. He looked up as best he could and said, "Tony . we could have . made a great . team. We . could have had . the world." He coughed and acted as if he were in pain.  
  
Tony said, as gently as he could, "Doc, I already have the world! I live in a place where I am part of my surroundings - the animals and the trees and my family! I have everything I want!" Sensing something in his fallen foe, Tony added, "But you don't. You have never had a family, and never felt a part of anything. I just wish you would have let me show you my world, instead of trying to make me fit into yours."  
  
The doctor began breathing heavily and clutching his chest. He looked dazed, but still tried to speak. "Oh . Tony . I have been so selfish . but . I just wanted to be . important. Can't you . see that?" He paused, and almost collapsed, but went on. "Thank you . for not .hating me. . Maybe . I should have . tasted your world . first!" He tried to smile, but fell unconscious.  
  
Sensing Blair nearby, Tony called out to her, "Blair, what's wrong? Can you help?" He looked up and saw that she was next to him, standing and watching what had happened. She looked sad and shook her head no.  
  
"But why?!" Tony cried out. He was sorrowful that this evil man was dying, and he didn't know why.  
  
Blair answered, gently, "He has been mistreating his body for a long time, Tony. When I help someone, I enable the body to heal itself. It can do that on its own over time, usually . I just hurry it along. He had nothing left to heal with. His heart would not have lasted much longer anyway. And when he realized that he could never control you, and then when he felt such guilt that he had wanted to control you in the first place, his heart could not stand the strain.  
  
"He is dead, Tony. But he learned - from you - compassion right before he died. He is truly at peace now, because of the gift you gave him. Not submission, but forgiveness. Let his spirit rest now."  
  
Not knowing why, Tony began to cry. Tia wrapped her arm around his shoulders and cried, too. Ty didn't understand what was happening, but he knew his big brother was upset about something. He sat next to Tony and grabbed his hand. He squeezed it and said silently, "I'm here for you, big brother." And he began to cry, too. 


	37. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 37

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 37  
  
The ride to New Home was a quiet one. It reminded Tia of the one she and Tony made after Dr. Gannon's first attempt to control him. Fortunately, this time the end result was much better.  
  
The police had been called to Dr. Gannon's manor. All of the Homedwellers except for Tony left. Tony had Truck subdued and told the police that Truck intended to shoot Dr. Gannon and then him, but Truck had missed the doc, and Tony had disarmed him. He also said that Dr. Gannon apparently had a heart attack when he was shot at, and that he had died a few moments later.  
  
Truck vehemently denied the story, but the police weren't interested in his explanation of aliens who came through the window and glued him to the ceiling. He tried to show the police the broken screen, but Tia had carefully repaired it when she left. They took Truck away, and Tony gave the police his card and told them where they could find him if they needed more information.  
  
Eric, Ty, and Trina were extremely impressed by the lifeboat that came to pick them up. They'd had to wait until after dark, but they still got a good view of it. Ty kept saying, "Cool! Cool! " over and over again.  
  
The flight to New Home only took about an hour from New York. It would have gone faster if they had not had to dodge radar and other detection devices. They arrived as the moon was shining brightly on their little settlement.  
  
Since it was so late, and many of the Homedwellers were asleep, it was decided that everyone would spend the night in the lifeboat. Each craft had been made for long journeys through space, so sleeping areas, changes of clothes, and other necessities were kept on board. Ty asked if he could sleep near Tony - he was still concerned about his "big brother" - but Ty was the first to fall asleep.  
  
The sun shone through the window of the lifeboat the next morning. Tony was already awake and was standing at the window, taking in the scenery. He found trees and forest paths to be much more scenic than any skyscraper. Soon everyone was awake and ready to see their new home.  
  
As they walked among the dwellings, people were coming out, dressed in simple garments, and greeting them with silent voices. Somehow everyone knew who Trina, Ty, and Eric were - but those three had to ask the names of the Homedwellers they met. At the end of the clearing, Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri came walking up with big smiles on their faces. Tony and Tia hurried to them and hugged them.  
  
Tony barely noticed a couple standing behind his aunt and uncle - he had seen them before but not spoken with them much. Then he got distracted by the "new" Homedwellers approaching. He turned and saw Ty and Trina there. Uncle Bené reached out his hand to the mother and son, and he drew Trina into a hug.  
  
"Welcome home, my dear. I understand it has been a long and difficult journey for you. But this is now your home, and we are your family. You are welcome to stay as long as you want, and we will provide for you all that you need." Trina started crying and hugged Uncle Bené again. As she moved to hug Aunt Bri, Uncle Bené bent over to look Ty in the eye.  
  
"Welcome home, Ty. I have been impressed by everything I have heard about you, and now that I can see you with my own eyes, I know that I was right to be impressed! While we may not be directly related, I hope you will call me your uncle as well." And he hugged Ty to himself. Ty was smiling the biggest smile Tony had ever seen. Tony remembered being about that age the first time Uncle Bené hugged him, and he began to smile from the memory.  
  
As Ty went to hug Aunt Bri, Uncle Bené stood tall again. He looked Eric in the eyes and said, "Welcome, Eric. It is good to have you back where you belong." He shook Eric's hand vigorously, then pulled him into a bear hug as well.  
  
Eric seemed surprised, but hugged him right back. He said silently, "It's good to finally meet you face to face . Unc! Tia has said only good things about you, so I knew I would like you when I met you!" Uncle Bené actually blushed at that, then turned to the couple behind him that Tony had noticed earlier.  
  
He said, "Eric, I would like to introduce you to my cousin Benj and his wife Tiana."  
  
Eric nodded respectfully to them and reached out to shake their hands. But they didn't reciprocate. They just stood there, looking at him with wondering expressions. Unsure if he had done anything wrong, the turned slightly to Tia. She just smiled and nodded toward them.  
  
As he turned back to them, he saw Tiana reaching out with her hands toward his face. She wasn't as old as Uncle Bené - at least in appearance - but was somewhat older than Eric. But as she slowly reached out for his face, something in her eyes caught his attention. He gasped, then looked quickly at Benj. He saw the same thing in his eyes as well.  
  
Tiana, crying and almost shaking, said, "Oh, Benje! Is it you?"  
  
Something about that name echoed deep in his being, and he began to cry. "Only one person ever called me that name! Could it be . are you my mom?"  
  
Sobbing now, Tiana clasped his face in her hands, then said, "Yes, my son . it is I! We are your mother and father!"  
  
The three of them embraced and wept together, a family once torn apart that had now been brought together again. The entire forest seemed to quietly hold its breath in awe of this magic moment. 


	38. Life on Witch Mountain Chapter 38

DISCLAIMER: This story is based on characters created by Alexander Key and owned by Walt Disney Pictures. This is fan fiction, and not endorsed by Mr. Key, his estate, or the Walt Disney Company. No copyright infringement is intended, and no money is being made from this story. It is based on plot elements used in the books Escape to Witch Mountain and Return from Witch Mountain, as well as the movies of the same name, although the books and the movies differ extensively. Please direct all queries, comments, etc. to kevinpkhaynes@yahoo.com. It is my sincere desire that you enjoy the story as the pure entertainment it was intended to be. Your feedback is welcome as well!  
  
LIFE ON WITCH MOUNTAIN  
By Kevin Haynes  
  
CHAPTER 38  
  
It had been a year since that wonderful day. Eric had taken a week off from the Senate to get to know his parents, his people . and Tia. Trina and Ty moved in with Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri, who were lonely since Tony and Tia had gone on assignment. Trina took to being a Homedweller immediately - learning new abilities, helping out with building dwellings, and camping out in the woods so she could learn to communicate with the animals.  
  
After that week, Tony and Tia returned to their assignments. Eric went back to the Senate. Ty had fun meeting all of the Homedwellers his age, but he still missed Tony so much that he talked to him daily via transmitter, and spent two weeks a month with Tony on assignment.  
  
The most beautiful thing that had happened in the past year, though, was that Eric and Tia had grown so close. Tony knew he would miss being the "special man" in Tia's life, but felt that if anyone could take his place, it was Eric. Watching the two of them together, you could just tell that he loved her with his whole being, and that she felt the same for him.  
  
Early on in their relationship, Eric's parents gave their blessing, as did Uncle Bené and Aunt Bri who had been the closest thing Tia had to parents since arriving at New Home.  
  
So it was, on a bright spring day, Eric and Tia were married. The ceremony was held outdoors, of course. Since no one dressed up at New Home, everyone sat on the ground. Not only were all Homedwellers present - even many on assignment had come back to see this - all of Tia's animal friends were there as well. And for the first time ever, humans were among the group on New Home! Tia had invited Kurt - "Dazzler" - to the wedding, and he begged her to include the rest of the Earthquake Gang. After checking with Uncle Bené, who heartily gave his approval, they were brought via lifeboat to attend the ceremony.  
  
Wedding ceremonies on Home were quite different from those performed on our world, but since most Homedwellers had now spent time with humans, they had combined the two traditions into one. No one "gave away" the bride - Homedwellers believed that two people united of their own will. Tia dressed in a simple garment adorned with flowers. Everyone - Homedwellers, animals, and humans - sat in a circle. Eric and Tia walked, hand in hand, into the center of the circle, where they were joined by Uncle Bené. As the senior statesman for the Homedwellers, he had the authority to formalize the union of the two.  
  
He simply looked at Eric and said, "Benje, do you love Tia completely, and will you do everything in your power to show her that love for the rest of your life?" Eric, his face lit up with a smile, looked at Tia and said, "Oh yes!" Tia blushed, but was smiling as well, when Uncle Bené said, "Tia, do you love Eric completely, and will you do everything in your power to show him that love for the rest of your life?"  
  
Tia looked at Eric, then looked at Uncle Bené and said, "Yes."  
  
Uncle Bené turned to the crowd and said, "In the presence of the earth and the stars, I declare that these two are one!" Everyone cheered, and even the animals joined in, making their distinctive noises in approval.  
  
Eric and Tia kissed. Then the congratulations began. Tony was the first to wish his sister well and to welcome Eric to their family. Benj and Tiana, Bené and Bri, all were exchanging blessings and congratulations with everyone involved.  
  
The celebration would last the rest of the day and into the night. Tony, overwhelmed with emotion, sat down against a tree at the edge of the clearing. Ty came over and sat down beside him.  
  
"Tony, are you OK?" he asked. His ability to sense the feelings of others impressed Tony. Tony smiled down at him and said, "Yeah, Ty, I'm actually doing great."  
  
Ty nodded, then looked up at him. "Are you sure? It just seems like something's up."  
  
Mussing the boy's hair, Tony laughed and said, "Just because you can read somebody doesn't mean you always read them right! Now, if you want to know what I'm thinking, just ask." He winked at Ty, who started laughing as well.  
  
"OK, Tony . what are you thinking?"  
  
Tony looked at him, then looked around at the celebration. "Well, I'm thinking that I won't be as close to Tia as I used to be, because she has Eric now. But that's okay, because we've already been apart for a year on assignment, and I know she's happy."  
  
He continued. "I'm also happy, because I have you and your mom to be with and have fun with. I can't wait to teach you more of what I know and watch you grow. I'm also at peace because Dr. Gannon isn't going to threaten us anymore, Truck is in prison for a long time, and the AAAI has been disbanded. For the first time in years, I can just relax.  
  
"It's a weird thing, though, Ty. Sometimes when you've been cautious and untrusting for a long time, it's hard to just believe all of a sudden that you can relax, that now you don't have to be on guard. So I guess what I'm feeling most is that it's OK to really just relax. I've been taking care of Tia my whole life and vice versa, and now I'm not. So I'm making an adjustment, and sometimes that just takes time."  
  
They were both silent for a minute. Then Ty looked up at Tony with a serious expression on his face. Silently he said, "Tony, you know I'll be here for you!" Tony looked at the 12-year-old's face, full of determination and dedication. Tony smiled, hugged Ty to himself, and said, "I know, Ty. And I'll be here for you."  
  
Then they both sat back against the tree to enjoy the warm sunshine, the light breeze, the sounds of laughter and merriment, and the prospect of a peaceful life on Witch Mountain.  
  
THE END 


End file.
